The Edge of Love
by Klaudee
Summary: Meet Coreen. Bubbly, sweet, sometimes annoying girl who likes to make jokes in the wrong moments. Meet Cato. Huge, tall, arrogant and obscene boy who likes to solve matters with his brute strength. A flower to stone, dew to thunderstorm, candy to pickles. So different, yet they fit. Things are not the way they used to be. Who will come out alive? Cato/OC with a huge spin
1. Chapter 1

I sat on an old wooden chair doodling on a paper with a pencil trying to chase away the bad feeling that settled in my stomach. I wiggled in my seat and glanced on the clock for the fifth time in the past ten minutes. I couldn't wait for the work to end.

_Just 30 more minutes_. I told myself in my head.

"This is the last one. Alright boys, wrap it up!" My dad shouted from the backroom. I heard happy yells from guys as they dusted their hand off.

"And I foolishly thought that you wanted to spend more time here." Dad said in a fake sad voice. I stood up from my chair and walked in to the backroom holding a clipboard in my hands.

"I am sure that all of the paper work is done. Am I right?"He asked and raised eyebrows at me when he saw me.

"Ehm…"I trailed off trying to come up with an answer.

"Of course it is done." Boys snickered upon seeing the obvious lie planted on my face.

"Oh really? Well, than let me see." Dad reached for clipboard but I quickly jumped out of his reach.

"Actually, I am not quite sure if absolutely everything is ..errr.. finished." I said in a safe distance from him.

"Mr. Mahoney, give her rest. She has been working so hard." Romar put his arm on my shoulders, squeezing my arm. I looked up in his face and sent him a small smile. I was dying on the inside. Romar was the best looking boy in our district. He had light brown hair and amazing dark green eyes. I have been crushing on him for ages. But I never got on a higher level. I was too shy to initiate conversation or, God forbid, flirt with him.

"Coreen." Dad's voice snapped me out of my daydreaming. "Bring those packages you made earlier."

I nodded and snuck out of Romar's hold on my arm. I put clipboard on the table and went to a shelf where I set aside medium sized packages. Dad instructed me to make them in the morning after we went to work. I had to put there bread, a handful of biscuits and some other pastry since we running a bakery as well. I had no idea what they were for, but I didn't ask. There were too much of them , so I grabbed a box and put them there.

I picked the box up and went to the back room. I set it on the ground and stepped away from it. I didn't dare to go back to Romar.

I leaned against wall and settled for watching boys and dad. He gave each of them a package and patted them on a shoulder when they were leaving.

Romar was the last to go. When he stepped out of the door with a package in his hand, he hesitated for a moment. He turned, walked to me and kissed me on cheek. My face went instantly aflame.

"Good luck tomorrow." He whispered and put a small distance between us.

"Good luck to you too." I replied, my eyes looked with his. Dad's awkward cough brought us back to reality.

"Yeah.. um. So…" He scratched back of his head and retreated to the door once again.

" Thank you, Mr. Mahoney." My dad nodded at him."No problem."

"See you tomorrow Cory."He sent me a wink and disappeared into the sunset.

"So, Cory." Dad drawled my name and sent me a wink too. My cheeks burned again.

"Stop it dad." I grumbled, but I couldn't keep a smile off my face.

* * *

My family belonged to those in the district that were better off. We never had to worry about that, whether we will have something to eat on the next day. Of course we couldn't afford to waste any food, but our lives were free of this fear.

Life in district 9 is hard. People are on the fields all day long, working quite often without any break. My dad had the luck to get the position of the head supervisor of the grain market, so he has all the export under his control. The mayor is his distant family, otherwise he would work on the fields like any other man, woman or even child in our district. Even though he was leading a lot more comfortable life than most, he had to go through a hard times. Few years ago there was a flood, that destroyed almost all of the wheat, barley and corn.

Our district is known for growing everything, that produces any kind ofgrain, but we don't do just that. We grow all kinds of spice and seeds as well.

I am thankful for not having to do any hard labor. As a daughter of the head supervisor, I don't have to do nearly anything. But I like to help dad when I can. That's why the section for spice and herbs is under my control.

Our situation shows off on our house. I admit, it is not the biggest house in the town, but still bigger than most.

When I step into the kitchen, a smell of sauce hits my nose. Smile formed on my lips as I watch mom stirring pasta near on the oven.

"Smells good mom."I say a walk to her. I wrap my arms around her waist and lay my head on her shoulder. Her hands pats mine as she turns the gas off.

"Could you turn on the water, Cory?" I do as she asks and then sit on a chair at the dining table.

Dad saunters into the kitchen and kisses mom on cheek as she is putting pasta and sauce on the table.

I reach for the ladle, but my mom beats me to it. "Did you wash your hands?" She asks in a stern voice. My hands freeze mid-air. I bring them closer to my face for an inspection.

"They are not that dirty." I try to object, but mom wiggles ladle in her small hands and I take that as a cue to go to wash them.

When I sit at table with clean hands, I help myself to a large amount of spaghetti.

"Coreen has something to tell us," Dad announces in the middle of the dinner. Mom looks up from her plate of salad surprised, because there rarely happens anything new here.

"Really Cory?"she asks.

"Well, I would like to tell you if I knew I actually have something new. Dad ?" I throw a questioning glance at him, but he just shrugs his shoulders.

"Coreen got herself a boyfriend." My mouth opens in a shock as my face goes red.

"I did not!" I say appalled.

"I saw you two, honey. You were getting all touchy and…" Dad waves his fork in a circular motion trying to get rid of image of me and Romar in an.. touchy.. situation.

"We did not. Dad! It was just a friendly kiss on a cheek." I declare in an attempt to calm the situation down.

"Aha!" Dad yells with victory grin."So you did get all touchy."

"Please. Touchy looks different."I reply, with a grin of my own, watching him splutter. A looked at mom, who was trying to stifle her laughter. She was looking at dad, who's ears were red.

"And it was just a peck. No hard feelings , dad."I cross arms on my chest after I put my fork down on the plate. Dad squinted eyes on me, sighed and twirled spaghetti on his fork. But before he could put it in his mouth, another idea crossed his mind.

"Aren't you a bit too young for such things?" He asked suspiciously.

Here we go again. My dad is extra protective of me and strongly dislikes any boy that dares to come close to me. Partly thanks to him, I haven't had any boyfriend. But it doesn't bother me now.

"Well, it's now or never. Who knows who will be shipped away tomorrow."I say bitterly. A sudden silence washed over the kitchen and I knew I crossed boundaries.

Tomorrow. The bad feeling in my stomach gave itself known. This was quite a taboo in my family. The Reaping was something we avoided like a plague. This whole charade of Hunger Games was disgusting to our family. Especially to my parents.

My mom lost her brother in these games. I wasn't born at that time, but from what I have heard, his death was one of those bloodiest. Ever since that moment, the theme of Hunger Games was banned in my family. And ever since then, mom's health was wavering. Even people in our district learned not to talked to my parents about it. They knew they can talk to me, but I never really had much to contribute to the conversation, because I never watched Hunger Games.

Not once have I watched them. Some people envy me, some twisted-minded don't understand how I won't watch something so great. Every time it is time of games, we never really leave house, unless it is for some unnecessary work or when we need something to buy.

Clatter of cutlery broke flow of my thoughts. My eyes flew to mom, who was gripping the edge of table. Dad was already near her, holding her in his arm, trying to calm her down. Her face had unhealthy ashen color and her skin got a waxy complexion.

I rushed to the kitchen cabinets, frantically looking for a small pouch of calming herbs and seeds. I grabbed it in my hands and ran to mom. I opened the pouch and looked for small dark red seeds that had nearly an instant calming effect. I put it in her mouth, making her swallow it.

"Can I do anything more?"I asked dad, watching mom as her grip on table loosened and her skin started to return to its normal color.

Dad didn't bother to turn his head as he answered to me in a curt angry answer.

"I think you have done just enough today."

And with that, I left kitchen and went to my room.

* * *

When I closed the door, my face was already wet from tears. I slid down the wall and hugged knees close to my chest.

Every night before the Reaping, I felt completely terrified. Tonight was no different. Even the knowledge, that I have just one slip with my name in the bowl doesn't comfort me at all. Dad tried numerous times to arrange, that my name wouldn't be there at all, thinking , that he has enough power in this district to make it happen. But it wasn't possible.

Scared to the bones, I changed into my pajamas and went to bed. I covered my body the best I could, so that nothing would peek from under the cover.

It was too hot under it, but the dark outside and Reaping tomorrow didn't allow me to feel safe and secure.

I woke up about two times during the night with new round of tears streaming down my face. Every time, it was a different bad dream.

But they had one thing common.

Me dying at the end.

And with that in mind, I woke up on the day of Reapings.

_Disclaimer: I own nothing from Hunger Games. Sadly, everything belongs to __Suzanne Collins__. _

_Wow..first chapter done. I have been procrastinating this for soo long, so I am really happy, that I finally did it._

_I would love to hear what you think, so leave a review if you would like. Thank you. Lia_


	2. Chapter 2

I stood there among other sixteen year olds. The weather was nice. Sun was shining, birds were singing and butterflies were flying around us. If it weren't for the Reaping, it would have been a beautiful day.

Sighs and groans could be heard from the crowd, since our escort Francine was late. It never happened before and people were getting anxious to get over with the Reaping.

Squeal of tires attracted our attention and slightly ruffled Francine stepped out of the car. She ran to the stage, grabbed microphone and steadied herself. She stuffed her face in the microphone, huffed and started talking.

"Welcome, to the 74th Annual Hunger Games. Now I am sure that you are eager to hear who is going to get picked to represent District 9. So let's pick boy first in the name of a tradition." She giggled and went to big translucent glass bowls full of slips, quickening the process knowing that people were restless. We didn't even watch the short movie about the Rebellion.

It is sad, but girls bowl was nearly filled to the brim. It is an unspoken rule in the family, that it is better for the girl to get picked rather than boy. The only reason is, that boys can find work easier and they are more needed. So it is better for the family to lose their daughter and sister, rather than their son. It is cruel, but that's the way it works. That's why girls apply for a tesserae, not the boys.

It sounds bad when I say it, but it is just better for me. Though my dad wasn't able to arrange, that I would have no slips at all, he managed to make a deal, that I would have just one. The deal was to supply quarter of the tesserae provided. But it was something he was able to agree on, to ensure my safety. So the chance of me getting picked is quite nonexistent.

Francine pushed her wig in place, since it was still a bit askew. Probably from the crazy ride from station to the square. She surprised me this year. I was expecting to see a giant curly wig of some grotesque color, but she had long pin-straight golden colored wig. It seems she got inspired by the color of our fields, as it was nearly time for harvest.

"Now, the boy's tribute for the 74th Hunger Games is.."She jammed her hand into the bowl. She didn't even mixed the slips. She just grabbed the first slip of paper that got in her hand and walked to the center of the stage.

Francine cleared her throat and said: " Romar Nichols!"

Crowd instantly parted for the said boy.

He started walking to the stage, shaken up, but brave. My heart clenched at the memory of his kiss on my cheek yesterday.

I looked for his younger brother in the section of the fifteen year olds. He was struggling against two of his friends. I saw how he was desperate, he knew that he has no choice.

He broke free from them and got ahead of Romar. As he neared the stage , he shouted something, that I will never forget.

"I volunteer." Two Peacekeepers went to him, grabbed his arms and took him on the stage, where Francise was clapping her little hands, giving him no chance to turn back. Romar didn't even got the chance of beating his brother. He sank to his knees and bowed his head in defeat.

This is another part of the unspoken law in here. If an older sibling gets picked, it is the duty of the younger one to volunteer. That is just the way it works here. Older siblings are mostly able to work more and harder. Workers in this District are allowed to take a small part of what they make home. So it is just understandable for most people.

Oh, I am sure that Francine is overjoyed. This sudden turn of events will bring more spotlight on her. She knows of this rule, but the Capitol and other District have no idea. I am sure that this will attract a huge amount of attention.

A younger boy for an older one? Unbelievable. But true.

I know Morris. He is a 14 year old boy. He tooks after his brother. He is like his mini copy. But just in looks. His personality is different. He is a lot more shy, always has his nose buried in some book. He is such a sweet boy.

Francine wrapped arms around Morris. "I assume correctly, that that young man is your older brother, right?"

"Yes. He is." Morris agreed and watched as his father raised Romar and went with him to the rest of his family. When he saw them, he smiled a little, despite tears rolling down his cheeks. He knew deep down, that he did the right thing. Because this was Romar's last year.

"And now , let's pick tribute from girl's section." She went to the other bowl and as with the boys, she picked the first slip that got in her hand. This action caused me to be more nervous than I already was. Picking the first slip she touched had a certain kind of fatefulness.

"And the girl tribute for the 74th Hunger Games iss…" She prolonged the last word to create more tension.

My heart started to beat loudly in my chest.

Francine quickly glanced on the slip once more, to make sure she won't mispronounce the name.

My ears drowned out every sound except my quickened heartbeat.

"..Coreen Mahoney!"

And my heart stopped.

People stepped away from me as if I was infected. My eyes were jumping from one face to another looking for a sign, that it wasn't me who was picked. But I only saw a hidden joy, that they have been spared of this fate.

I put a foot forward. Testing whether I won't collapse. But I didn't. My hands were trembling as my feet carried me to the stage. My moves were jittery and laboured.

White gloved hands of Peacekeepers took me up on the stage where Francine was already waiting for me with her arms opened. I stumbled on the last step, but I quickly straigtened myself out.

Francine's arms enveloped me as she was blabbering to the microphone. My mind was clouded from the heavy smells of her perfume.

I barely registered Morris hand in mine, before we were ushered from the stage.

I was told to wait in a visiting room, so that anyone who wanted to say goodbye to me could. But no one came. But I knew better than to expect my parents to come. I'm sure that they do not even know, that I was reaped. Even if someone ran to my house to announce them, that their daughter was picked, they wouldn't have made it in time. And I am sure that mom would have another attack.

* * *

When we got on the train I was amazed by the beauty and elegance of it. Everything was so clean, fresh and shiny. I wanted to run my hands along the sofas and the table to feel the texture beneath my fingertips.

"Wow.." Morris breathed out. His gaze was transfixed on the array of food that was put on the table on the other side of the room. I never saw so much food in one place.

I glanced at Morris just to find him looking at me with a challenge in his eyes. I quickly understood what he was thinking about.

"1.." I said.

"..2" He prepared his feet and leaned forward.

"3." The second the number left my lips, we bolted to the table. Morris beat me to it and won. I mockingly bowed to him and said:

"I offer you this cake as a trophy." I grabbed the closest cake and held it in my hands as something sacred.

"I accept."He said and smashed his winner's cake into his mouth. I laugh at the sight, because the cake was two times bigger than his mouth.

I took one cake myself and sat on a dark brown sofa. Morris sat next to me and put his feet on a small coffee table that was stationed in front of us. I copied him and stuffed the last bit of cake in my mouth. I'm sure we looked like pigs, but I didn't care.

"I'm Coreen, by the way. But you can call me Cory, if you want." I offered him my sticky hand, to which he accepted and grabbed it with his.

"I'm Morris. And you can call me Morris, if you want."

"No nicknames?"I asked surprised.

"Not really."He shrugged his shoulders."There is not much room for imagination with a name like that. "

I hmmed in agreement.

"Now that you properly introduced to each other," said a voice from behind me," I suggest washing those hands before you smudge anything with them." Along with the voice, Francine came into my view. Her heels made a clicking sound as she went to pour herself some Capitol made beverage.

"Now you have about an hour to rest or to do whatever you want and then we will watch The Reaping."And with that she went to show us our rooms.

My room was beautiful. In the middle was a huge bed that I'm sure could hold at least four people. Next to it was a night table with some flowers on it. There were two doors against the bed. One led into a luxurious bathroom with marble tiles and gold taps with a shower and a tub.

The next door led to a nearly empty wardrobe, so I think that we will get clothes later today. There were some pants, T-shirts and dresses in neutral colors and in medium size. Everything was made in golden-brown colors. I get it that wheat is golden during the harvest. But most of the time, my district is in colors such as green and brown.

I sat bored on the bed for about 10 minutes before knock sounded through the room.

"Can I come in?' Morris head peeked out from the hall.

"Sure buddy." I said and patted bed next to me for him to sit down.

He sat obediently hiding his hands behind back.

"What do you have there?" I asked curiously.

"I grabbed few more cookies.." He offered me some.

We sat there in awkward silence munching. I didn't know what to say to him, so I chose a neutral theme.

"So you're 15 year old?"

"Yes. And you're sixteen, right?"

"Actually going on seventeen. I have birthday in 10 days. If I will be alive by then." I said sourly. In 10 days, I would be in arena already for five days.

"Oh. That sucks."

"Yeah. I know." I said and bit into another cookie.

* * *

We talked a bit more about our families and lives before Francine collected us five minutes till the Reaping Recap, so we could meet our mentors. We entered the compartment and saw our mentors.

The woman was neither small nor tall. She had long brown hair, big hazel eyes, friendly smile and freckled cheeks. She introduced herself as Elma. I looked at the male mentor waiting for him to say his name but he stood there staring at the blank screen with a frown on his face.

"This is Darby. Don't be bothered by him today. Something crawled up into his ass and died." I looked at the mentioned Darby. He looked quite young with short cropped black hair and dark brown eyes.

We sat on the couch when Francine showed her short-tempered side and turned the screen on, thinking that we missed the start..

Two colorful men appear on the screen and I heard Francine's sigh of relief that she didn't miss anything.

"Welcome to the 74th Hunger Games Reaping Recap. I am Caesar Flickerman."He flashes his most charming smile and beckoned the golden haired man to continue.

"I am Claudius Templesmith. And may the odds be ever in your favor."

They both began talking about Hunger Games, what we can expect and look forward too. If I weren't for me being one of the tributes I might have enjoyed their cheery attitude a lot more.

They went in the order of Districts. I was quite looking forward to this part, because I never saw this before and I was curious about what the other districts looked like.

District 1 Tributes didn't look very terrifying on the screen. The girl looked like she spends all her time in front of the mirror and the boy looked like he was enjoying every minute of it.

It was the District 2 tributes that gave me chills. The girl was small, but the sadistic look on her face told me not to cross her path.

But that boy. He was huge. He jumped at the opportunity to volunteer. I caught myself thinking how he can even walk with so much muscles on his body. He had blond hair and bright blue eyes. His attitude I-know-I-will-win didn't go unnoticed by the commentators who warned other tributes to beware of this boy.

_Be sure that I will. _I said to myself.

Other Districts went quite quickly. I didn't pay much attention to them, because my mind was still on that blond tribute.

Morris nudged me in the shoulder and whispered:" Look."

District 9 was on.

"An unexpected turn of events caught our attention in this District. Morris Nichols, male tribute for this District, volunteered for his older brother, Romar." Commented Claudius.

"It is uncommon for someone to volunteer in these Districts, but a younger brother volunteering for older one? That is very intriguing. I wonder what made this young boy to do this. Let's watch what actually happened."Caesar motioned his hand on the screen behind them.

I felt it like is was happening now. I could still hear bird's singing and Morris brave voice. They showed him as he stood on the stage, but another camera focused closely on his brother kneeling in front of the stage with his head down.

Than Francine called out my name. I saw myself as I was walking like a robot to the stage. I looked like I saw a ghost.

"Well this girl looks pretty shaken up. Her name is Coreen Mahoney."Read Claudius from a card.

"I agree with you Claudius. Well, here is a small advice for you Coreen. You better put yourself together girl and try not to trip anymore, because it won't end well for you." Caesar laughed and started talking about District 10.

Now I stopped paying attention completely. How am I supposed to get myself together knowing what is waiting for me? Sure, it may have seen like I was having fun with Morris after we got on the train. And I did have fun. But the fact that I am pretty much sentenced to death hasn't escaped my mind. It is lurking in the back of my mind, but is still present. And I am not a clutz.

But I try to not to take it like it is the end of the world. Though my end is closer than ever before, I do not want to act like I have nothing to live for anymore.

Because I do have something to live for. I still have a few more days. And I plan to make the most of them while I can.

"…and the male tribute for District 12 is Peeta Mellark!"

My head snapped up and I watched as a blond blue-eyed boy walked to the stage. I didn't recognize his face, but his name did.

Because that purple escort just called the name of my only friend.

My best friend.

Peeta.

_Disclaimer: I own nothing from Hunger Games._

_Chapter 2 is up. I can't believe how long it took me to write this chapter. Nearly 5 hours. I have time to update now because it is still winter holiday, but then there will be school, graduation exams and testing, university exams, so I think that if I will be able to publish new chapter once or twice a week._

_Thanks to _**Stjarna11**_ for favoriting my story. And thanks to everyone that read it._

_This is my first story ever, so I would like to hear what you think of it. Leave a review, it would make me happy._

_And I apologize for grammar mistakes, since English isn't my first language. Thanks, Lia_


	3. Chapter 3

It happened when I was 10 year old. Dad took me to work, because mom wasn't able to look after me since she had a particularly strong seizure the day before. Dad told me to sit on a chair behind a table in the main room and to draw something for him. I did as he told, because drawing was my hobby at that time. I drew a childish picture of me with my family with big heads and skinny legs. I wrote next to it our names and drew our home. But I finished too soon and I had no more paper, so I looked around the room to see if there wasn't anything I could draw on. There were sacks of flour in the corner prepared to be shipped away, and I saw them as the best material for my drawing. I drew myself in field with a butterfly on my head and with my name on the shirt.

Dad was quite angry when he found out what I have done, but he knew there was nothing he could to do repair it, so he sent them the way they were. On the other day, empty folded sacks returned with some pastry and a letter for me.

I found out, that the flour was sent to a baker's family in District 12. Their name was Mellark. The baker had son a bit younger than me who jumped at the chance of having a friend.

Ever since then, we have been writing each other about everything. I know about his mother, that he saved a girl, Katniss, he has crush on and that he is on love with her. I wrote to him about my mother too, my work, the flood and Romar.

He is my only friend. I thought we would be the lucky ones that wouldn't get picked, but it seems that fate has something different prepared for us.

When the Recap ended, Francine turned the tv off and went to her room to change her outfit.

When the door closed after her, Elma turned to face us.

"So, I think it is time to discuss your abilities to see what we have to work with."She suggested.

_Shit_. I thought. _I know practically nothing._

Seeing as neither of us was rushing to speak first, she beckoned me to speak first.

"Hm..well…." I mumbled.

"So what can you do, Coreen, right?"I nodded and she smiled encouragingly.

" There is not much to tell really. I didn't work on the fields much…"I trailed off, embarrassed that I know nothing.

"God, that is just awesome." Groaned Darby and covered his face with his hands.

"Hey.."Elma turned to look at him and she promptly smacked across the back of his head.

"Don't be such a freaking idiot. Put your balls together or get lost." She snapped at him. I stared at her, not knowing what she said, but I know that people from my District have their own way of words. From time to time, I am surprised at myself at what leaves my mouth.

Darby glared at her, stood up and stomped out the room, slamming the door behind him. Elma took a deep breath, counted to ten in her head and smiled at us apologetically.

"Sorry kids. He just has days like this. He behaves like an immature asshole. So, where were we?"

"I was supposed to tell you what kind of abilities I have."

"And those are?" She pressed still smiling.

"I know herbs and spices, and I can handle knives pretty well." I admitted.

Okay.

That was a bit of a lie with those knives, but I can use them safely without hurting myself. I even killed in rage few rats when they were eating roots in my garden. But then I buried them out of pity. I could already feel that this lie I just told will got me into trouble , but I already felt like a wimp so I said anything that could help me improve my image in Elma's eyes.

"That's good." Said Elma.

"Anything else that could help you in the arena?"

"No."My short answer was sufficient enough for her.

"And you young man?"

"Axes and slingshot." His answer didn't surprise me. It is hobby of kids in our district to shoo birds away from the crops with slingshots. And axe, for cutting down trees when there is needed more space for fields.

"That's great. Good."She rubbed her hands together and stood up.

"We will get to Capitol tomorrow morning. We have time to discuss everything that you need to know during breakfast . Now go to rest. I am sure you're exhausted. "

"Thank you, Elma."Said Morris and went to the food table.

"Elma." I said standing next to her.

"Yes?"

"I was wondering if this train takes other tributes as well."

"It does actually. I almost forgot. It's good that you mentioned this. "She muttered the last words to herself.

"Young man!"She shouted at Morris whose mouth was filled with some purple cream.

"Aems?" I don't know whether that was supposed to be yes or something else.

"First, don't talk with your mouth full. And second, this train carries other tributes as well. There is a dining compartment, games, lounge, etc. compartment for tributes, so you may wander over there. But I highly suggest you to keep the main hallways. Especially Career tributes have the hobby to scare and intimidate other tributes. Understood?"

We both nodded. Morris then went back to eating and Elma turned to walk to the door.

I reached for her shoulder, since I had one more thing to ask of her. The second I touched her, she turned around, hair flying around her face, with a chilling look in her eyes.

I stiffened, scared of her for a moment.

She released a breath and her eyes softened when she saw me. Now I know, that Games never really leave anyone.

"I wanted to ask you one more thing." I said softly, worried.

"Yeah. Sure ,go ahead."

"Was wondering if there is any chance of watching the Games from previous years."

"Yes, I can get them for you. But why?"She furrowed her brows at my strange question.

"I never saw any."

"ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME?" Shouted a voice from behind the door.

"DARBY!" Screamed Elma. She threw the door open to find a crouched Darby. He covered his head with his hands seeing her angry face. Actually, furious would be better word.

Darby screamed bloody murder and took off down the hall.

"I swear to you, you little prick, that….." I didn't hear the rest of her sentence, since she took after Darby and the door closed behind her.

* * *

"Morris, I don't it is such a good idea." I complained, while he was dragging me to the Tribute's dining room. He said that he was hungry and that he wanted a real dinner. We both knew, that he ate already enough to last him a month, but he just couldn't resist the thought of eating more.

I was wary of going so far from out district's compartment after what Elma told me. But Morris was persistent. So I gave in.

When we entered the room I instantly wanted to disappear. Across the bar sat next to a table District's 1 and 2 tributes. Their chatter stopped when they saw that we have entered the room.

What made the situation worse was. That I had on a quite revealing dress that was away too tight on my chest.

And I had no shoes on, because they were none that would fit and Francine refused to let me go with the ones I came with on the train. So it was either barefoot or staying locked in my room

Four Peacekeepers in the room provided me at least some comfort.

Morris hesitated for a moment, but shrugged his shoulders, leading me to a table near the wall, thankfully quite far away from them.

I couldn't help myself but to glance at their table once again. The giant blonde career was sizing us up. Then he looked at the other tributes and mouthed 'Easy'.

Anger flared up in my veins. How could he dismiss us so quickly?

"Pig-headed idiot." I muttered under my breath.

"What?" Asked Morris.

I opened my mouth to answer, but a waiter stood next to our table asking whether we wanted something. I ordered just a glass of water, while Morris ordered some monstrosity .

I scanned the room we were in and felt awed by the sheer luxury that screamed at me. Even the salt shaker on the table looked more expensive than everything I own.

My eyes fell on a hunched tall skinny boy that sat in the very corner eating soup. He had light ginger hair and strange skin colored to orange. He looked weird.

A piece of meat fell from Morris mouth and made a smacking noise on a plate. I rolled my eyes at him and turned the mini screen that I was carrying around on. Elma gave it to me after she calmed down. It contained Hunger Games from last 20 years.

I tapped the first one on the list and started to watch.

I turned it off after the bloodbath. I felt sick in the stomach. How the hell am I supposed to survive this? The fact that District 9 tributes were among the first victims didn't help me at all. Tears clouded my vision, so I bowed my head, so that none would see me cry.

"Are you alright?" Asked Morris in a concerned voice.

"Not really. I just watched the bloodbath and…"

"I know. Bloodbath is the worst. Come on, let's watch how to survive."He suggested and sat next to me.

Morris took hold of the device and skipped to a part where they were showing tributes as they were starting fire, finding water and shelter.

It didn't look easy, but it was better than what I saw before.

We were still here alone with tributes from 1 and 2 and that creep . It looks like the others had some wits and stayed in their area. Thankfully the Careers, as I learned they were called, weren't paying attention to us. Label 'Easy' made us unattractive in their eyes and not worth their attention.

At least something is in our favor.

Door to the dining room opened and I turned to look at this person.

A smile broke on my face and I leaped from my chair not caring whether the skirt of the dress rode up and showed something that was supposed to stay hidden.

I enveloped arms around the person neck and squeezed hard.

"God, Cory.. Want to kill me before the Games even started?" He said jokingly and I released my hold on him and looked closely on his face.

Peeta stared at me too, trying to remember my face.

"Who knew you had it in yourself, Mellark.." I mused.

"What?"Peeta asked nervously, having no idea what I was implying.

"You are a sexy beast. Why you never told me this before?" Peeta blushed at my statement.

"And you are cute as well, cupcake."

Peeta groaned into his hands. "Why do you insist to call me cupcake?"

"Because you are adorable.." I took his hand and led him to my table, where Morris was watching us curiously.

"Wait."I halted and Peeta crashed into me.

"How did you know it was me, who hugged you?" I crossed my arms and squinted eyes at him.

"I saw you on the Recap." He said bluntly.

"Oh." Figures.

When we sat at the table, before I had the chance of introducing the two of them to each other, Peeta whispered. "They are staring."

I didn't even had to ask who. I looked on the Career table, and true to his words, they were staring at us. Scared by the grin on the blonde's face, I stuck my tongue at them. I watched in satisfaction as the girl from 1 bugged her eyes out and then I averted attention back to our table.

"Very mature, Cory." Peeta commented dryly, but I saw smile playing on his lips.

* * *

Peeta and Morris got along great. They were joking on my expense and talking animatedly about their lives. It was amazing to watch them. I joined the conversation too. I was shocked to find out that Katniss has volunteered for her sister, because after I found out that Peeta was reaped I tuned out the rest of the Reaping so no wonder I didn't catch this.

Morris dropped yet another knife on the floor in a fit of laughter.

"Cory, could you go and ask them for another one? It would be awkward if I went there again. " He asked. He already dropped his cutlery 2 times.

I sighed and stood up. The service bar was on the very end of the compartment, which means that I will have to pass Careers. I took a deep breath, tugged the dress a little lower and set out.

They didn't even look at me, for which I was grateful.

Having knife in my hand I turned to walk back. The creepy guy in the corner stood as well. I completely forgot about him.

When I neared the Career table, the guy nearly crashed into me. I motioned with my hand for him to go first, but he kept staring at me. He had disturbing sunken black eyes and pale thin lips.

Chills ran down my spine. I tightened my grip on the knife I was holding. Something is seriously wrong with him. I took a step forward, but he did too and blocked my path.

From the corner of my eye I saw Peeta standing up with Morris. But before they could get closer to him, something big clasped my arm and tugged me further away from him… into someone's chest.

"Any problem here?" asked someone in a gruff voice.

The creep looked up, but he wasn't fazed by the person that stood behind me. He glanced at me one more time and then walked away. I relaxed once he shut the door behind him.

I turned around and saw that my savior was the monstrous boy from District 2.

"Thank you."

"Don't thank me. I just don't want to lose toys to play with in the arena." He sneered got back to his table.

* * *

I lay in the bed thinking of today events smelling of raspberries after a wonderful shower.

First, Peeta is hot. I know that he is my friend, but this is just me appreciating his looks, that's all.

Second, days till the arena may prove to better than expected.

Third, blonde career from 2 may not be the biggest threat for me anymore. Number 1 stole the creep.

And at last, I couldn't shake off the feeling of me pressed against his chest and his hand on my arm.

_Disclaimer:I own nothing from Hunger Games._

_Thanks to _**Lauren Funk**_, for favoriting my story!_

_Special thanks goes to _**AbbyMellark21**_ for being the first one to review._

_I am still sick, so thankfully I have time to write. This is the first chapter where is Cato more prominent character. Wow, I never thought that writing could be so much fun :)  
_

_Please leave a review. I am dying to know what you think of my story. Whether it is good, bad, where I can improve, or anythink really. I would love hear from you. Thanks for reading. Lia  
_


	4. Chapter 4

I stood in a cold room wearing only a thin robe, waiting for my stylist to come. Thanks to Elma and partially Darby, I knew that now I have to attend the Chariot Ride with Morris. They explained everything to me during breakfast.

After that, we were whisked off to the preparation centre where they 'made us into acceptable people' as they said. They ripped of every hair on my body, and polished my skin until it emanated soft glow and was soft to touch. They also put me into a tub filled with some liquid, cause it would prevent the hair from growing back.

It was awkward to say at least, laying on a cushioned table with my prep team leaning over me. Positive was, that they were all girls. My favorite instantly became Charm. She was bubbly and cheerful and she was the one that offered me candy.

Apart from that being naked, I actually enjoyed this experience of being pampered. They trimmed my hair a bit, put oils and conditioners in it, so it was silky and soft. They made my nails and allowed me to eat sweets.

I have been told that this year my District has a new stylist, but Charm assured me, that they chose him personally and that I do not have to be worried.

The door opened and my stylist walked in.

He looked every inch playboy. Lips to die for, deep dark brown eyes and long black hair. He flashed me a mega-watt smile and strolled to me. I bet with that smile, he can get any women into bed. But I knew from Charm, that no one can top some Fimeck, or what is he called.

"Hiya Sweetie!" He squealed and pecked me on both cheeks.

I take the last sentence back. He could get any MEN into bed.

"Hi." I greeted him.

"I am Lyons."

"I am Coreen. Nice to meet you."

"OH! You have manners…That is rarely seen nowadays. It is my utmost pleasure to meet you." He bowed slightly and kissed the back of my hand. I giggled and noticed that his lips left an imprint of some balm.

"I can't wait to get to work. Put the robe down for a minute, please."

"You want me to undress myself?" I asked, disbelief written all over my face. It is something different being naked in front of men, no matter what his orientation may be.

"Am I making you uncomfortable?" He asked, curling a strand of his hair between his fingers.

"Yes."

"I can undress too, if you want."

"NO!"I shouted and slipped the robe off, before he could show me his…. You know what.

"Hmm." Lyons circulated me and tapped his forehead.

"What are you doing?" I asked, when he didn't stop tapping .

"I am trying to awake the genius inside me." I laughed and put the robe back on when he went to collect his sketch book and some pencils.

I sat on a chair with my feet propped on table where Lyons was working. He was asking me some questions about the District I grew up in. His questions were mainly directed to what plants we were growing, what animals live there and which colors and flowers were symbolic tour District.

When his sketch was done, he didn't let me have a look at it and left to make the dress.

At least I hope it is a dress.

* * *

My assumption was right. It was a dress. But it looked too beautiful to be real. It was a light golden color. The dress itself was very light and soft. The bodice was embroidered into gentle looking flowers and leaves in pink, green and brown. Dress was narrowed at the waist and drifted to the floor with a tiny train. The skirt had lots of layers, so when I moved, skirt flew gently behind me. I had a small flower tiara across my forehead and tiny pair of colorful butterfly wings, folded and hidden in the creases of the dress.

I argued with Lyons that they looked more like wings of a fairy, but he didn't budge.

"Will I get any shoes?"

"No."Lyons blunt answer surprised me.

"And why?"

"Do you want to be head taller than the boy you will be on a chariot? Mo.. something ?"

"No."

"There you have your answer.."

My prep team came, gushed about my dress and then did my makeup. It was simple, because they didn't want it to clash with the dress. Lip balm, blush and accentuated eyes.

Lyons stepped on my toe when we were leaving, not minding where he was going.

"Will you watch out!?"I said angrily, hopping on one leg.

"I swear, I will turn to evil fairy and curse you!" I pointed my finger at him but he just rolled eyes at me.

"Yes, yes.. Just hurry up, or we will be late and no one will see your magic trick."

"What magic trick, you don't have any magic trick." I mumbled loud enough fro him to hear me.

We got to the hall where our rides were waiting for us. I saw Morris standing not far away from the entrance. He was talking with some tributes.

I approached them and said, "Hey Mo Mo, aren't you just cute!" I looked at his outfit. He looked like an elf from woods. He was dressed in a golden-brown tunic with green trousers. He had a small crown from golden ears of grain.

"What the hell, Cory.. Mo Mo? Seriously?" He huffed, looking insulted.

"Don't look at me like that. Blame my stylist, Lyons, from the other side of the river, if you know what I mean." He scowled and then looked at me.

"What are you.. a fairy?" he asked when he saw my wings peeking out.

"Wouldn't you like to know."

A cough from tributes attracted my attention. I turned to face them and my jaw hit the floor.

"Seriously, cupcake.."I whined.

"What?" Peeta laughed.

"I thought you couldn't get sexier, and here you are proving me wrong. Damn." I said playfully.

"Stop it, Cory."Peeta said playfully and blushed.

"You look beautiful."

"Thank you."I said and reached to hug him.

"How can you be so cheerful?" Asked a feminine voice with a slight distaste from my left.

I looked at the girl and noticed that she has a similar outfit like Peeta. I quickly understood that she has to be from the same district as Peeta.

_So this is Katniss._

She looked uncomfortable in the tight black costume she had on. I would feel like that in it too. Other than that, she looked fierce and strong. Her face was void of emotion, staring straight at me.

"I guess I like laughing better than crying."

A small smile broke on her face.

"I am Katniss."She offered me her hand and I took her hand.

"I'm Cory."

We didn't have the chance to talk, because Elma and Darby took us to our chariot. Lyons already stood there to check if everything was alright. He unfolded my wings and made sure they looked great.

Suddenly, our chariot moved and my hands started shaking.

_Remember what Elma told you. Be natural, smile and wave_.

* * *

I didn't even realize it, and it was over. I exhaled, happy to have it behind me.

"You were great. You looked natural."Said Elma. She seemed satisfied with what we did.

"Am I right Darby?"She hit him with here elbow in ribs.

"Yes, they were awesome." He grumbled.

"Could you please act like more normal?"

"What do you consider to be 'more normal'?" He asked mockingly made air quotes at the last two words. I saw Elma counting quietly under her breath.

"You mean the way you act?"He was pushing the buttons and he knew it.

"ANY OTHER WAY, JUST NOT THE WAS YOU ARE ACTING, ASSHOLE!"She yelled at him.

"OH PLEASE! LOOK AT YOU!" He shouted, blaming her.

Elma took a deep breath, feeling insulted, preparing herself to shout more.

"I AM PERFECTLY FINE!"

I glanced at Morris, to see him gaping at our mentors.

"Let's go to congratulate Peeta and Katniss."I said quietly and we hurried away from our short-tempered mentors.

Tributes from 12 were happy to see us. When we were on the chariots, I was shocked to see them burning. I almost jumped from our chariot to put out the fire, but then I realized that they were smiling.

But it didn't stop me from asking whether they are okay.

From the corner of my eye, I saw the blonde career from 2 glaring in our direction. Especially at Peeta and Katniss. I looked at him and when I realized what he was wearing, I burst out laughing. Those wings he had alongside his head looked terrible. I couldn't help myself, but to stare at his arms. They had to be at least four times thicker than were mine. When he caught me looking, his glare turned to smirk. I blushed and turned away.

After chariots Francine showed us our floor, where we will stay and went to change her attire. It was huge. I was afraid to touch anything, scared that I will broke it.

Morris started running to the sofa. Before he could crash into it, he jumped on it.

"Morris, are you crazy?"

"Why?" He asked, jumping up and down still in his chariot costume. Thank God, that neither Francine nor Elma and Darby were here, otherwise we would get another display of how short-tempered they are.

"That sofa must be disgustingly expensive! I am pretty sure even our lives are worth less."

Morris ceased his jumping.

"You are right."He said after a small pause." But they already have our lives in grasp. So what more they could take from us, when we have nothing to lose? How they could punish us?"

A sad silence hung over us, as the ugly truth seeped into our bones.

"For a 15 year old, you are pretty damn smart."I said and jumped on the sofa too.

* * *

We were watching Capitol from the roof huddled in a blanket eating ice-cream after we took shower and changed into comfortable clothes. I had chocolate and blueberry and Morris had vanilla and strawberry. We decided to avoid Capitol flavors and decided to stick to ones that we knew.

"Do you think of your parents?"Moriss asked.

"Yes." I admitted and put spoon into the bowl.

"I am worried about mom. I don't how she is handling this. It must be terrible for her. She always believed, that I would be the lucky one, that would escape games. She gets an attack whenever we mention games…" Tears streamed down my face as I was imagining what is happening home.

"I am so foolish and shallow. Joking with Peeta, jumping on sofa with you, arguing with Lyons whether I had butterfly or fairy wings, while my parents are experiencing the worst time of their life"

" I know it may seem like I don't care. That I am carefree and that I enjoy this, but.."

"Don't worry Coreen. Everyone who knows you knows, that this is just the way you cope with things. I know that you care about your parents more than anything in the world. And those who think else are not worth being listened too. Okay?"

"Yes." I sniffed and cuddled to him.

"You are really smart, you know?"I mumbled into his shirt.

"I know." I felt his smile as he lay head on my shoulder.

After a while, he went back down saying that he was tired. I stayed here on the roof enjoying the view and eating ice-cream.

I was close to the edge but I never leaned on the railing, being scared of heights.

Something heavy pushed me from behind and I crashed into the railing, hands enveloping around the thick metal bars, the only thing preventing me from falling. Another set of hands gripped bars next to mine.

Body behind made me lean forward. My eyes widened when I saw how high we actually are. Hair fell around my face and I gasped for breath.

'No laughing?" he asked.

"Why should I laugh?"

"You tell me. What you found so funny after the chariots?"

"You."

"Me?" He asked disbelievingly and turned me around so that I would face him.

"Yeah. You looked like a chicken with those wings around your face." I looked in his eyes waiting for a reaction.

"And you looked like a fucking butterfly." He snapped at me.

"Well I'm sorry, but it was actually supposed to look like that. Second, butterfly is way cooler than some chicken. And third, it looked way better."

His eyes darkened and he leaned forward, causing me to slide further on the railing, the blanket around me making the banister slippery. One of his hands sneaked around my waist, so that I would not fall.

"You are starting to piss me off. " He growled angrily and his eyes flashed.

I turned my head and when I reminded myself how high we were, my heartbeat quickened.

Blonde career obviously took notice of my reaction as he chuckled darkly.

"Scared of heights?"

"Wouldn't you like to know."

He pressed himself more to my body, making me slide even further. If it weren't for the situation I was in, maybe I would have enjoyed this close proximity.

I realized too late, that I pushed him too far. Desperately trying to calm him down I tried to make turn this situation into a joke.

"You know, seeing the position we are in, I could sue you for sexual harassment."

"I don't think that we reached the sexual yet." He smirked, straightened out, making me in the process to sit on the rail.

He has to be very tall, as I was taller now just about two inches.

"Could you please put me down?" I asked sweetly.

"Why should I?" He asked with his head close to my collarbone, his breath leaving burning trail behind.

"Because my butt hurts from sitting on the rail for so long." The words slipped from my mouth faster than I thought about them.

"We wouldn't want that, right?"He locked his blue eyes with mine, smirk on his lips.

I nodded, afraid that another stupidity will leave my mouth.

He slowly put me down, his hands brushing my sides, unknowingly tickling me. I instantly giggled and went to sit on a bench, where I left ice-cream.

"Ticklish?"

"Unfortunately, yes."

He 'hmmed ' in response and leaned on the railing.

I put the blanket around my shoulders, took the bowl in hand and patted the place next to me. He raised his eyebrow, but sat next to me anyway.

"Want some?" I offered him the bowl, since I was already full.

"What flavor?"

"Chocolate and blueberry." He nodded in approval and took the bowl with spoon.

"I thought that it would be some Capitol shit flavor, but it seems you're not as stupid as I thought."

"Hey!" I said offended and playfully punched his arm.

"Take it back!" His one glance told me, that it is not going to happen.

"Chicken."I muttered under my breath.

He broke the silence after few minutes.

"I'm Cato."

"I'm Coreen. Nice to meet you."

* * *

_Disclaimer: I own nothing from Hunger Games and I never will._

_Finally some serious Cato action. I was glad to find out that it is very easy to write about him._

_Maybe you noticed that I am leaving out some parts of the story, but I feel that some parts have been written too much times already._

_Yesterday, I couldn't fall asleep, so I lay in my bed thinking of how am I going to end this and I love it so far. _

_Special thanks to _**Andrea71_._**_ I am very happy that you love it. It makes me feel a lot better about continuing this story._

_Please leave a review. I would love to know what you think of this so far._

_Thanks for reading. Lia_


	5. Chapter 5

I am not one those people who wake up from bad dream sitting up straight, gasping for breath and covered in sweat.

No.

I open my eyes, laying on bed, heart beating fast with tears streaming down my face. I don't mind the fact that I am not screaming my lungs out and trashing on bed. But when you are not creating ruckus, no one wakes up and comforts you. No one comes.

So you lay in bedroom, wide awake in early morning hours even though you slept just a few hours because of certain blonde career.

I sighed, bored out of my mind and decided to check our district's floor, if someone is awake.

Of course, no one was.

Thankfully breakfast was already prepared, so I grabbed croissants and tea and went to sit on a sofa to watch some more Games.

I tried to remember the basics of surviving from observing tributes. Find a tree, climb it, find a cave get in it, find stream, get water…and try not to die.

Before we left for the training, Elma instructed us to keep to the survival stations. Darby was being his usual moody self and Francine was trying to make him talk.

Time passed quicker than I expected and I found myself on the way to the elevator to get to the center. Thankfully the elevator was empty, so I leaned causally on the wall with Morris opposite of me making faces at me. We both had training clothes on, with our District's number on out arm.

Elevator dinged on the sixth floor and two tributes walked in. Smile froze on my face, when one of those tributes was that ginger haired creep whom I learned is called Vale Hughs.

Morris immediately went next to me, creating a barrier between us. Vale had his eyes set on me, his blank stare haunting me. My shoulders tensed and hands balled into fist in a natural reaction.

"It's fine Cor. I'm here." Morris reassured me. I sent him a small smile but his words didn't help me.

The elevator's door opened once more. I looked up and saw number 2 shining in red on the small screen.

My hearth soared in hope, that Cato will join us and maybe help me feel safer.

But instead of him, a small dark haired girl walked in. Her eyes scanned the room, before the door closed again.

I noticed that Vale's gaze wasn't on me anymore, but on her. She sensed his stare and turned her head to look at him too.

"Are you mental or something?" she sneered at him.

He just grinned at her and continued staring.

The door opened and I got the first glimpse of the training hall. I walked fast to the circle that formed in front of the balcony. We stood on our predetermined spots. I noticed that Peeta and Katniss still weren't here but Cato was already there, so I waved at him without getting any response.

"Ass." I grumbled.

"That guy from six is fucking retarded. I can't wait to get my hands on him in the arena." Said the small girl to Cato when she got on her spot.

"We will see about that Clove. I have some unfinished business with him too." Cato crossed his arms and glared at Vale's head.

I smirked slightly knowing that Vale's life won't be easy in the arena.

* * *

Atala told us basic instructions after District 12 tributes arrived. I saw Careers getting jumpy wanting to get their hands on weapons and show off.

She let us go and I headed to Peeta with Mo.

"Hey." I greeted him.

"Hi guys."

"Where is Katniss?" He pointed at the snares station where I saw her looking at the expert. I rather didn't ask why she went there alone.

"Where are you heading?" I asked him.

"I actually don't know yet."

"How about camouflage station?" I suggested and both boys agreed.

Peeta was amazing at it. He painted his forearm up to elbow in such way, that it blended with the tree's bark. When he showed us how he easily blended with the tree, we looked with Morris at each other and then at our creations consisting of swirls of colors and dark pools of brown in some places.

"Crap." I laughed. "I think we know who is the expert here."

"I think I'm going to climb on some ropes, okay?"Morris suddenly said and walked away. I looked where he was heading and saw that a cute girl was climbing the ropes too. I put two and two together.

"Someone has a crush."I sang.

"What a lucky guy in unlucky place." Commented Peeta dryly.

Someone has a bad mood.

"Hey, what's going on?" Peeta sat next to me on a chair and sighed heavily.

"Katniss hates me." He confessed in a broken voice.

"Why would you think that?" I asked surprised, thinking how I was able to screw up my painting.

"She barely talks to me." I suppressed the urge to roll my eyes at him. This is Peeta to you. All sensitive and mushy gushy.

"Come on, cupcake. I know you love her, but you have to realize that she knows you just about two days .You should know better. From what you have told me, Katniss doesn't open up to people easily. So why do you think she would change this knowing that she will have to fight in arena for her life in few days."

"I know." Peeta said unconvincingly.

"Well you don't sound like it." I reasoned.

"Besides, I am sure that she will warm up to you." I reassured him. Peeta smiled a little and took my hand. He grabbed a few paintbrushes and colors.

"What are you doing?"

"Painting butterflies. And wash that hideous thing that you painted earlier. It is freaking me out and upsetting my inner artist." I snorted, my did it anyway.

"You know Peeta, you should really look into the mirror. You are blonde, blue-eyed boy that is strong enough to lift a house. Your personality shines so bright that it blinds me from time to time. You are funny, smart, charming, polite and just amazing. You can even paint and bake." I said after few minutes.

"And you are sexy. What more could a girl want?"I butted. Peeta laughed loudly at my comment and continued painting on my hand. I looked in the direction of ropes and saw Morris and that girl talking to each other hanging upside down.

Katniss was still at the snares station tying knots.

Careers were loudly smashing dummies and hitting bulls-eyes with pointy and sharp things.

Don't you just love them.

It was time for lunch. Peeta and me were the last ones to leave the hall, because he had to finish his painting. It was beautiful. I had butterflies and different flower scattered all over my arm, with few flowers on my temple. We both looked silly but Peeta even worse than me with his tree bark and mine unsuccessful attempts of painting turtle and elephant on his arms after I persuaded him, that I can actually paint.

We entered dining room and searched for Katniss and Morris. Thankfully, we found them sitting together at a table with that small girl that Morris was talking to.

I sat next to him and Peeta slid into a seat next to Katniss. I sent him an encouraging smile, but Katniss was glaring at me. I smiled at her too, but I was met with a cold stare.

_Someone is jealous._

"Got a nice girlfriend Mo." I whispered into his ear. He turned red at my comment but refused to look at me.

He remained silent.

"No denying she is your partner in crime?"

He looked at me, cheeks a vibrant red color. "No she isn't."

I just gave him thumbs up and ordered pancakes when waiter appeared at our table.

Unknowingly to me, a pair of blue eyes was following my every move.

* * *

I was leaning on a railing watching Capitol once again in the evening. I ventured here alone, secretly hoping that Cato would come here as well. If It weren't for the games, it would be honestly fun here. My best friend is here, MoMo has taking liking to Rue, girl tribute of District 11,whom he met at the ropes and a certain big blonde captured my attention.

I heard as someone opened the door. A smile tugged on my lips.

_He came._

Part of me wanted to slap myself for stupidity. Developing crush on the biggest threat in the Games is surely not the best guide on how to stay alive in the arena. But there is just something about him that makes me feel better.

I though, and I still do, that I am awkward around boys. Saying stupid things in inappropriate moments, being unable to flirt. I somehow can't make my inner feminine side to shine through when I am with boys.

Awkward and weird works for me just fine in this area..

My forehead wrinkled. I thought that Cato came on the roof.

So why isn't he bothering me yet?

I turned around and gasp left my lips.

Vale stood there, staring at me.

I never thought that someone just standing and staring would creep me out. But it is the way he does it, that sends chills down my spine. His long arms are hanging down, face without expression and those pits of black looking at me.

"Hey." I said trying to hide how nervous he makes me.

He didn't answer. I would have gotten angry at him or make fun him like I do of Cato, but Vale isn't one to toy with.

"I think I will rather go." I clutched the blanket in my hands, pulling it closer around me. I left two bowls of ice cream the way they were. I had other things on mind now.

I took care not to walk next to him, putting distance between us. My steps quickened when I got near him. He pivoted on spot when I passed him. One would think I will feel safer walking away from him, but it only made me feel more anxious, because I couldn't see his movements.

A hand grasped my arm, halting my movements. My eyes widened.

_This is not good._ I thought.

He didn't pull me closer to him. It was him who neared to me.

I saw as his other hand moving in the air to touch me. I shut my eyes, afraid of what he was going to do. When nothing happened, I noticed that his hand was hovering above my shoulder.

"I wouldn't do that, if I were you."Growled all too familiar voice.

Feeling of being protected washed over me and I shrugged Vale's hand from my shoulder. I turned around and saw that Cato has hand wrapped around Vale's throat in iron grip.

Vale made few choking noises, but Cato just smirked, tightened his grasp, with dark cold eyes watching his failing attempts to breath.

His muscles barely strained squeezing his neck.

"She is mine." Vale smirked despite the situation.

"Not if I will get her first." Vale managed to choke out. My heartbeat quickened watching Cato's eyes flash with something dark and predatory.

"Cato, let him go."I said in small voice, before he could do something rash and stupid. His eyes flickered to me and stayed trained at me.

"It will just create problems if you hurt him." I tried to reason with him, but I wasn't sure if common sense had any significance here with outraged Cato.

"Please."

His grasp lingered and I seriously thought he will kill him. My mind began producing explanations as to why boy tribute from 6 is laying dead on the roof, when Cato let go of Vale unexpectedly that he fell down on the floor. He cradled neck in his hands and ran away. Cato was looking on the spot where he fell, still mad, clenching his giant fists.

Relief washed over me and my shoulders relaxed. I knew that I still had big problem at hands, and that was mad Cato, but I felt no more in danger.

I touched his arm softly, looking up in his face. I opened mouth to tell him something, but the same hand that was grasping Vale's throat few seconds ago, was now gripping mine painfully. He slammed me into a wall that was not far behind me. I grasped his hand with my own trying to push it away, but he wouldn't budge.

He loomed over me with a crazed glint in his eyes.

Screaming for help would be useless. No one would hear me.

"Tell me.. why shouldn't I kill you now and save you from painful death in arena?"

Seriously, what the hell? Minute ago, he told Vale that I was his, whatever that meant, and now he wants to kill me?

_Come one, Cory. Think._

But what should I say so he will not choke me to death?

"Because you ice-cream will melt." I blurted.

…

_Smart move, Coreen. Really smooth._

_.._

Cato's eyes lost their dangerous glint, but he didn't let me go. He seemed to be deciding whether to choke me to death or to let me go. I silently hoped for the latter.

"Why do you have to be so fucking confusing?"He grumbled, but let me go.

"And you think that you are not?" I asked, slumped against the wall, rubbing my neck, blanket sliding to ground.

"Where is that ice-cream?" Of course. Leave it to him to ask about food.

I walked to the bench, took both bowls in hands and sat down. I passed him the blue bowl and started eating mine ice cream.

He sat beside me, his large body taking up most of space. I shivered when a strong gust of wind blew across the roof and looked longingly on abandoned blanket. But I was too lazy to retrieve it.

Suddenly, Cato's arm picked me up and placed me in his lap, wrapping an arm around my waist.

"And that I am confusing." I said angrily and looked in his face, but he was staring straight ahead, his beautiful blue eyes watching Capitol lights.

"You big blonde chicken." I mumbled and ran my fingers through his blonde hair still ruffled from earlier. His looked at me, surprise written on his face. I blushed and hid my face in the crook of his neck, leaning on his strong chest.

Cato buried his nose in my hair, inhaling my scent, pulling me possessively to him.

Oh, to hell with it.

We both are confusing . But I wouldn't trade it for anything.

* * *

_Dislaimer: I own nothing from Hunger Games._

_Another chapter is up. And I am still sick. I have full nose and I'm coughing nonstop. My dad, whenever he is room with me, tells me to stop coughing because it is irking him. So I try not to cough, going red in face while writing another chapter._

_I am very glad that there is quite a few of you, who weren't put off by boring first chapter (maybe even the second one) and continued reading. But it could be even better, if you would review. I am a bit insecure about posting these chapters, because my vocabulary is limited and this is my first story ever that I published. So it would be great to hear from you, what you think of it._

_Thanks for reading. Lia_


	6. Chapter 6

I entered our floor with a smile on my face, tiptoeing to not to wake anyone up, from meeting Cato. It was night already and everyone was asleep. I cradled bowls from ice cream in my hands, careful not to drop them. I headed to kitchen to put them away. I was few steps away when I heard hushed giggles coming from there.

My brow furrowed. Who could be up there at this hour?

"Not now."Said a feminine voice.

'"Why?" Someone whined. I heard rustling of fabric and red shirt was thrown to my feet. Female giggled but protested again.

"What if someone walks in?"

"No one will. I already checked Morris and Coreen and they were asleep." Voice promised.

I raised eyebrow at said lie. I didn't know I am asleep.

"I will be quiet." Voiced hushed her. Smooching noises drifted from kitchen and I scrunched up my nose in distaste. Those people are going to have sex in there? A second of not paying attention made me move my hands and spoons to clatter against the rim of bowls. I clenched my eyes shut hoping they didn't notice it.

"You heard that?" Female asked alerted. She did notice.

"No, I didn't. Stop being so paranoid." The other voice mumbled.

"Are starting again Darby?" Female sighed agitated. What the..? Darby?

"No I am not. But you are Elma."

Okay. This is weird. Darby and Elma are together? As in really together?

"We are not doing anything until you will check it out." Elma said. I could imagine her with arms crossed and Darby throwing his hands in the air, mumbling angrily under his breath.

_I have to get out of here. Fast._

I looked around for a place where I could put bowls. I spotted a small table few steps away from me, when I heard someone walking to me.

I dashed through the corridor looking for my room in the darkness. I took spoons in my free hand, knowing that they will cause more harm than good. Thankfully I found my room rather quickly. I quietly closed the door behind me and put bowls on a cabinet.

Who would have thought that Elma and Darby were together, the ever-arguing mentors?

* * *

This time I woke up at a reasonable time. I lay in my bed for a while and then got up. I showered and put on a fresh pair of training clothes. It was still early for training to start, but that is called saving time, you know?

When I walked to the dining room, I passed kitchen and remembered what happened last night. Well, I don't actually know if anything really happened and I don't even want to know. I entered dining room and put scrambled eggs with mushrooms on plate and then I went to living room to watch some Capitol show.

I was surprised to find Darby sprawled on a couch, lazily sipping coffee with television on. I sat on armchair next to the couch and greeted him.

His eyes flickered to me, but then returned back on the screen.

"Morning."He greeted back in a gruff voice.

I started eating my eggs, to some extent watching show that was on. It was some mindless drama about a violet girl cheating on a blue boy with red tiger stripes. I saw Darby looking at me from corner of his eyes.

"So.." I started to talk to him.

"Yes?" he ran his hand through his black hair, messing it up even more than usual.

"Actually nothing."

He mumbled something to himself, shaking his head. He reached for his coffee, bringing the cup to his lips.

"How long are you dating Elma?" I grinned in satisfaction to see him splattering coffee all around himself.

"I'm not dating her." He said after he composed himself. He patted droplets on his face dry and smeared a small puddle of coffee that formed on crème colored couch creating a big dark brown smudge. It was that couch, that Morris and me jumped on earlier.

"Oh, yes you are."

"No I'm not."

"Yes, you are."

"No, I am not."

"Yes."

"NO."

Out of blue, Elma walked into the living room yawning and stretching her arms above her head.

"Are you dating him?" I asked her, pointing my finger at Darby's head.

Elma looked taken back but answered me anyway. "Yes."

"NO." Darby hissed at her, making some weird hand gestures.

She bulged her brown eyes out and covered her mouth with her hand.

"No." She corrected herself.

I smiled at them, picking up my plate and walked away.

"Whatever helps you sleep at night even if what you do may not be sleeping." I called over my shoulder.

Morris woke up a while later. He was eating breakfast and I was sitting beside him, flipping through some fashion magazine. Elma and Darby resorted to staying in living room avoiding me.

"Did you miss me my little friends?" Francine called when she saw us sitting in dining room.

"You have no idea how much." Morris confessed with his mouth full. Francine neglected his poor manners and gushed about him being a sweet boy.

She kissed him on head and went to greet mentors.

"OH MY FINNICK!" She screeched.

"Is that what I think it is? A smudge?!" She asked in a horrified voice. She rushed by us and disappeared for a moment behind a door leading to a room, where I yet wasn't. She came out holding some bottles and sprays, which were probably cleaning products. She kept at arms length and hurried to the living room.

Morris and I looked at each other laughing our asses off.

* * *

We were still in joyous mood when we got to the training center. We had to wait for everyone else to come and when they did, Atala dismissed us.

Peeta and me were left alone by Morris, who went to join Rue, so we decided to try our luck the snares station.

"If I won't be better than you, I will hang myself on one of these ropes." I said scrunching my forehead in concentration. I resolved myself to beat Peeta at this station no matter what.

"Sure, sure." Said Peeta.

When I got the first snare right, I did a small victory dance.

"Nice dance moves." Said Marvel, District 1 tribute, walking close by. I was surprised that he was talking to me.

"Nice ass." I said back, words leaving my mouth faster than I could think about them. Peeta looked at me shocked.

Marvel laughed and walked away, purposefully wiggling his butt. When he got to the weapon station, he stopped next to his fellow careers. He said something to Cato, who was looking at a wide display of swords. At his words, they both looked at me.

"Was it good enough?"Marvel mouthed to me, gesturing to his butt.

"Perfect."I mouthed back. Marvel and Cato both grinned and got back to work.

I went to restroom after that and when I came back, Peeta was no longer at the snares station. I scanned the hall and found him at bars with Katniss. He looked happy to be with her even though Katniss wasn't very cheerful.

I sighed and went to the plant identification station. I leaned on the screen and stated touching images of eatable plants. I was doing so far pretty good and I was proud of myself.

"Marvel likes you." A voice startled me from left and red X appeared on screen.

"Hey! You made me make a mistake."I said turning to face him.

Cato stood there, arms crossed on his broad chest his muscles bulging out under his training shirt.

"Like what you see?" He asked, smug grin on his face.

"I have seen better." I said picking on my nails.

His body was suddenly on mine, screen uncomfortably digging into my lower back. His face was inches from mine.

"Take it back."

"No."

"Really?" He asked tauntingly, before moving his hand and placing it on my waist.

"I won't."

"We'll see about that."And he tickled me. Before I could react his hand was clamped across my mouth, stifling my giggles so that no one will hear us. Thankfully, this station was located in the corner of the hall. Otherwise everyone would be staring at us now.

I was afraid I would pee my pants, so I licked his hand. He let go of my mouth immediately.

"I'm taking it back." I said while catching my breath. I was worried, that my bladder would not survive another tickle attack.

"I don't like the way that creep starts at you." He said said after a while, referring to Vale.

"I don't like it either. I'm afraid of what he will do in the arena." I admitted.

"He won't touch you. I promise." Cato said with determination in his blue eyes.

"Thank you." I hugged him, my head resting comfortably on his chest. He wrapped his strong arms around me, bringing me closer to him.

I was tall enough to be able to peer over his shoulder. I glanced around the hall, when my eyes met with grey ones.

_Oh no_. I thought, when I realized that Katniss was looking at us with stony face.

After lunch, all tributes had to go through an obstacle course. We stood in a line in the order of the districts.

Thankfully, it was not on time, so I wasn't so worried. Morris stood behind me sneaking glances at Rue, who was hiding bashfully behind a boy from 10. The queue was shortening and suddenly I was the one to go next.

"Ready?"Asked the instructor. I gave him a curt nod and he pushed a button that was counting my time. I panicked because I thought that it wasn't measured.

I bolted and jumped on blocks, that were few feet apart from each other. They rose higher and higher making me nervous. In front of me was a big jump. I hesitated, took a step back, took off and leaped into the air. I landed on the other side with a small 'thud'.

Next was a track where robotic arms were supposed to hit you with batons so that the tribute will fall.

I was dodging them, trying to quickly get on the end of this course.

I was just few steps from the end when a baton flew in my direction. I leaned far back, hoping in won't hit me in the chest. It didn't and I quickly ended the trace.

I went to Peeta, who was looking at me with mouth open.

"How did you do that?"

"Did what?" I asked, wiping my forehead with hand.

"When you bended! I swear it was an acute angle." He gestured wildly with his hands, trying to imitate my movements.

"You mean this?" I asked an did it again, this time bending even more, making a bridge. I felt my spine crack a bit and then I straightened.

Peeta was openly staring at me now.

"I'm flexible."

"I can see that."

I patted his arm and wished him good luck. When I was leaving, I noticed Katniss staring at me coldy.

I ventured over to the weapon station with hands behind my back, trying to look as unsuspicious as possible. I stood in front of dummies wondering what they were for, when a spear lodged itself in it's chest, few inches from my hand.

I retracted my hand and put it over my chest, to calm my beating heart. I turned around looking at the culprit.

Marvel was acting innocently, whistling a catchy tune.

"Why did you do that?" I asked when I stomped over to him.

"Want to try it out?" He asked ignoring my question completely. He held out a spear for me and I took it in my hand.

"Feet shoulder apart but put your left leg forward. Lean back, spear straight in your hand and throw it with your torso moving in the direction of your target."

I tried to do as he said, leaned backwards and threw spear into the air. It made a soft noise as it fell on the floor thanks to mats on the floor.

"Well, that didn't go great. Try it again." Marvel suggested, chuckling at my failed attempt.

I narrowed my eyes at him, taking a stance and throwing spear once again. It hit the target into thigh area. The second I saw this, I threw my fist in the air and did small victory dance. Marvel began laughing but joined me anyway. We looked crazy because our dance consisted of flailing arms, shaking heads and butt wiggling.

"Nice dance moves, Marvel."

"Nice ass." He retorted back.

* * *

I was in the elevator with Marvel, Clove and Katniss. When the door closed after Clove left, Katniss wasted no time and pushed me into the wall, with her forearm under my neck preventing me from moving.

"I saw what you were doing. Don't think I didn't notice." She spit in my face. I was watching her with wide eyes, speechless. I looked on the screen on which floor we were and saw number 4.

Still too much time left till we reach 9.

"Stay away from Peeta." Katniss pushed her forearm higher to my neck, slightly pressing against my windpipe to stress her point.

"He is my best friend. You can't tell me to stay away from him." I said defiantly.

"I can't. But I am sure you wouldn't want to hurt his feelings. Being his best friend."She spit those last two words as if they burned her tongue.

"Why?" I croaked out, confused.

"Because you are toying with his feelings and mingling with Careers behind his back."

Elevator dinged, signaling that we were on 9th floor.

"Why do you care?"

"I don't." She said too quickly for it to be truth.

"I just can't stand traitors."She put away her arm and I hurried away from her.

* * *

_Disclaimer: I own nothing from Hunger Games._

_Today I was thinking about rewriting my story a bit, but then I let go of this idea. Btw, I am not THAT flexible at all._

_ Thanks for reading. Lia_


	7. Chapter 7

When I got to my room, I was still shaken up from my encounter with Katniss. I wasn't glad that she saw me as a traitor. But at least she was warming up to Peeta, obviously caring for him. I was happy for him. He deserves to be loved.

I took a shower and changed into my sleepwear and put a dressing gown over it. I went to the dining room and piled spaghetti on my plate. It immediately made me think of how my parents are doing back home, what put me in a somber mood. I went to the living room and saw there Darby. Again.

"Hi." I said and sat on sofa with my legs crossed under me.

"Hey." Darby greeted back and coughed awkwardly.

I continued eating in silence, my mind still on my parents.

"How was the training?"

I would have told him some snappy remark, but I was not in the mood to bicker. At least he was trying to hold a conversation without moaning about something.

"Pretty good."

"I would suggest you to go to the snares station, to learn some more knots and maybe try your hand at netting." He looked a bit uncomfortable advising me.

"Look. If Elma made you try to talk to me, you can cut the crap now. I think it is a bit too late to start handing out life-saving advices. And about this morning, don't bother. I won't tell anyone. I'll be dead in two days anyway."I said to him in a calm voice, explaining my point of situation. I stood up to leave but his voice stopped me.

"I'm sorry that I was acting like an asshole." He said, looking rightfully ashamed.

"It's alright. I'm not holding it against you."

"It's just that too much things happened at once and it was too much on me. This is my first year as a mentor, even though I won a few years ago. The previous mentor died in a car crash. Who would have thought that a guy that survived the Games would be killed in such stupid way. A meeting with certain people didn't go well and on a top of that, Elma made me meet her parents." He confessed, his eyes casted downwards.

"Will you sit here with me?" He asked.

I sighed, shifted my plate from one hand to another and sat on the sofa.

"Her parents were that bad?" I said jokingly and he looked at me with a glint in his dark eyes.

"You have no idea."

I was surprised to find out, that Darby isn't such a lost case. We talked about his meeting with Elma's parents, about the previous mentor, who mentored him when he was in the same position as me and he gave me some more tips.

"Let's be honest. Your combat abilities are at freezing point, you are afraid of heights and dark and are unable to kill a human being." He summed up counting each point on his fingers after I told him the truth about my abilities.

"Well, that isn't the best outlook for surviving the games."

"Jeez. Thanks for the support." I rolled my eyes.

"But your positive points are that you are flexible, which means you could cram yourself in a small places, you aren't horribly slow and you know herbs and plants what is very good. Means that you won't probably poison yourself and you could stop infection if needed."

"That's good, right?" I asked not having big faith in my abilities.

"Well it is definitely better than nothing."

"Hey!" I protested and threw a cushion at him. He caught it with ease, placing in under his head and laying down.

"But I am telling one thing that you have to keep." He asked seriously.

"At the Cornucopia, don't try to play a hero. Just run. You heard me? Run for your life."

* * *

Went Atala let us go, I looked for Peeta to go with to the snare station once more, but I haven't found him. I looked around myself and saw that he was already with Katniss at the plant identification. She was surely keeping up to her words, snatching him away, before I had the chance to talk to him. Morris was already with Rue , again at the ropes. Thankfully, it didn't bother me being alone that much because I had my own things to concentrate on.

It was just an hour but I already learned how to start a fire. I was proud of myself watching as the flames were licking the dry splinters I used. Then I went to the snares station and learned the basic netting technique and few more snares.

After lunch, I decided to try my luck at knives, wanting to know if I really was that hopeless.

I took a medium sized one and prepared myself. I flicked my wrist and sent the knife flying to the target, missing it by a whole foot. I made a face at my failed attempt and went to retrieve it. When I looked up, knife in my hand, I barely registered Clove throwing a knife in my direction. It embedded itself between the foam eyes of the target.

"Ouch." I mumbled and tore the knife out of the foam.

"What's with you Careers throwing sharp things at people?" I asked Clove, as I handed her back her knife.

"Maybe because we can do it apart from you." She said, throwing the knife again hitting perfect bull's eye. She gestured me to go next.

I sighed knowing that this time won't be any better. Even though it hit the target in stomach, it hit it with the handle, not the blade.

"You have a really shitty aim." She commented.

"And you have pretty hair." I thought for a moment that she was going to kill me right there on the spot. But she laughed quietly and threw another knife.

"Marvel was right when he said you were crazy." I sat on the mat not far from her, playing with knife in my hands.

"I don't know what Cato sees in you. You are not exceptionally pretty, can't handle any weapon and quite useless. Don't look at me like that. You are."

I opened my mouth to say something in my defense, but her look silenced me.

"Glimmer isn't very fond of you. But I am willing to accept you. It is refreshing to talk to someone who isn't shitting their pants because they are talking to careers." I smiled at what she said and stood up to throw knife again.

It flew right behind the target. I hid my face in my hands out of embarrassment.

"Stop throwing right now. I can't look at it." Said Clove exasperatedly. I gave her my knife back, but she turned around, pointing the blade right in someone's face.

It was Vale.

"What do you think you are doing?" Hissed Clove. He was standing still, his blank yet disturbing. She was pretty small and Vale towered over her. He didn't even flinch when she was glaring at him.

"Fuck off, or you will not last till the arena."Clove snarled, trailing the tip of the blade across his neck. His eyes jumped to me, locking me in place. He moved closer to me, not minding the fact that the blade drew a small line on his neck.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you." Along with the voice Cato came into the view, shielding me from him with his large body. Vale lingered in his place for a few moments before walking away.

"I can't wait to kill that psycho." Said Clove with a determination in her voice.

"That creep has some weird obsession with you too." Commented Marvel and leaned on spear.

"I don't know why. Don't ask me."I put my hands up in the air.

"You will not leave my side in the arena." Cato announced to me in a firm voice.

"Why? You think that I can't beat him?" I asked defiantly believing in myself.

"I don't think. I know. " He said derisively. I narrowed my eyes at him.

"I believe in my myself and I know I could handle myself if he should attack me." I know that I am not very strong, but I am deeply convinced, that my inner strength would emerge and I could take anyone down.

"Punch me." Cato said raising his hand.

"I'm afraid I would hurt you. I decline." That was a bit of a lie. I knew I would not hurt him but I was trying to save my pride.

"Don't worry, you won't hurt him." Reassure me Clove.

I look him in face and suddenly threw my fist into his palm ,trying to catch him off guard.

Unsurprisingly, his hand didn't move an inch.

I huffed at his chuckles and propped myself up on his arm trying to push it down with my weight. He slowly raised his arm so that my feet were no longer touching ground. My hands gave up beneath me and I hanged from his arm like a rag doll.

"Okay, put me down." I said, blood rushing to my head.

"Why?"

"Because I said so you big blonde chicken!"

"Like that's going to make me do it."

My face was hot and it was getting really uncomfortable, so I flipped myself over and landed in a crouched position. Offended, I started walking away but an arm grabbed my waist.

I rolled my eyes, Cato was sometimes so predictable. He pressed me to him, holding me in his arms, my back against his chest.

"You are not going anywhere."He growled playfully.

"Sexual harassment still doesn't ring any bells?" I ask off handedly.

"Not really."I sighed and an evil idea began forming in my mind. I sneaked my arms around him and started patting him.

"What is this?" I asked curiously.

"What?" He looked down with a frown on his face.

"Oh my Finnick." I called out.

"Is that a fat?" I asked horrified and ran away when I had the chance. I didn't look back, but I heard Clove and Marvel laughing and Cato trying to quiet them.

* * *

It was the time for our private session in front of the Gamemakers. I was so nervous. My hands were shaking and my stomach was in knots. I needed someone to calm me down but I am not sure if they would succeed.

Morris was as bad as me, so he was out of question. But I couldn't even talk to him, because he was next to Rue.

I glanced at Peeta, who was staring at his clasped hands. Katniss sensing that I was looking at him, gave a don't-even-think-about-it look. I groaned and started tapping my foot on the floor.

"District 6, Vale Hughs." Announced a voice through speakers and dark-haired boy left.

I shot out of my seat and went to Peeta, ignoring Katniss.

"Hey." I said in a quivering voice. Peeta looked up and gave me a small smile.

"What was the last thing you baked?"I asked, desperate for any distraction.

"Cinnamon buns."

"That's sounds great. I love cinnamon."

"What flour did you use? The one that we sent you? It was a good flour. Really white and smooth. I hope there were no grains there. It would be…" And I rambled on and on. Peeta wasn't really listening, but my rambling had a calming effect on both of us.

"District 9, Coreen Mahoney."

"and grains were bigger than… Shit. I'm going." I looked wide-eyed at him.

"You will do great." He hugged me and I stopped by Morris and Rue. I wished them luck and closed the door behind me.

The gamemakers were talking loudly among themselves, just a few of them registering that I am there.

I told them my name and district and turned around on a spot to show them what I can do.

I went to the survival station and started a fire. Then I made few snares and then went to the obstacle course. I am not very into the visual effects, but now I tried to put on a show. I did a few rolls, bridges and at the end a back flip, hoping that I won't break my neck.

* * *

"Watch out!" I shouted at Cato, when he showed up on roof. He caught an apple that I threw at him with ease.

"An apple?" He raised his eyebrows in amusement.

"No ice cream for you. Or you will get fat." I said munching on my own apple.

"I'm not fat." He said irritated.

"How did you get 7?" He asked referring to my score.

"Nothing exceptional. Started a fire and went through an obstacle course." I shrugged my shoulders. I noticed that at the mention of fire, Cato's eyes flashed.

"Girl on fire. Fucking pathetic." He spit out.

"I could crush her within seconds. And she gets fucking 11. 11!" He yelled and clenched his fists. He walked to the railing, leaned on it, silently fuming. He threw half eaten apple into the mass of lights.

I learned that he is a spitfire. Most of the time acting without further consideration, acting on impulse, and he can't stand still.

I stroked his arm and leaned on him, hugging him from behind.

"Don't worry about her. She is not worth it." I mumbled into his back. He turned me around, circling his strong arms around me.

"You are better than her. You are stronger and better with weapons."

"And you have prettier hair." He smirked at my last comment and shook his head. I was glad, because it meant that I wasn't walking on a thin ice anymore.

"You are mine." He said under his breath tightening his hold on me.

I smiled softly and soaked in the warmth.

He is such a big baby sometimes.

* * *

_Disclaimer:I still own nothing from Hunger Games._

_You guys made me very happy today morning after checking the stats. I hope that I am improving my writing a bit._

**EGilly: _Thank you! Cory likes to have fun and Cato just doesn't like sharing. I am glad that you love my story._**

_Thanks for reading. Lia_


	8. Chapter 8

"Don't put your hands like that." Said Francine.

"How am I supposed to have them?" I had them on the sides of the armchair I was sitting on. I looked at Francine confused. She was slowly losing patience with me. She has been teaching me, how to sit properly.

"Place them naturally in your lap." I placed them like that, but Francine didn't like it.

"Not affectedly. But naturally." She sighed tiredly.

"I am going to take some pill. You are giving me headache. I can't work with you anymore, because I will be completely exhausted."She said dramatically and left me.

"That didn't went well." Elma walked into my room and sat on my bed.

"It was horrible. I mean, who the hell cares how I will sit?" I asked her.

"Just be yourself and.."

"That is not a good idea. I will surely say something stupid." I interrupted her.

"It doesn't matter. Just go with it and we'll see." I nodded at her and sat on bed too.

"We have to come up with an angle for you. I can't imagine you being sexy. No offense. Definitely not dark and bloodthirsty. So I was thinking about sweet, funny and a bit daring." She said looking at me.

"It could work. But I will be a wreck and nervous anyway. This can have just two outcomes. Bad, I won't say anything and make a fool out of myself. Better, I will joke around, say stupid things but I will make a fool out of myself anyway." I groaned and turned over so that I was laying on my stomach. My face was pressed into the mattress, making it hard for me to breath.

"Don't worry, honey. It will end up somehow." She patted me on my back and left.

I raised my head to breath and considered thinking staying there and not breathing at all.

* * *

"Sweetcheecks! How are you?" Lyons came into the styling room in full parade with glittery pants and some weird hat.

"Hi! You know, all the same old here."

"So what direction are we going?"

"Definitely not the straight one." I said jokingly. I saw as his face froze and I instantly wanted to disappear.

_Why don't you just shut your mouth Cory?_

"You don't mean the dress, right?" He asked with something in his eyes.

"No." My whisper echoed like a scream in the silent room.

And then he started laughing manically so loud that I thought my ear drums will burst. I stared at him incomprehensively, until I let out a small chuckle.

"That one was good! I have to give you that." He said brushing away tears that leaked from his eyes. He fanned his face and took a deep breath.

"So what angle are you going for?"

"Sweet, funny and a bit daring."

"Okay. I can work with that." And he started sketching right away. I tried to take a peek at his work, but every time I would strategically lean to see on his papers, he would turn to block my view.

After my fourth unsuccessful attempt, I huffed and crossed my arms. Thank God, after 15 minutes he had the sketch done and went to have it made into a dress, otherwise I would have died from the anticipation.

"Close your eyes!" He called from behind closed doors.

"Why?"

"I want it to be surprise." He explained and I rolled my eyes at him.

"Okay. You can come in!"He slowly opened the door and walked in.

"Aaaaah! Don't look!" He screeched upon seeing I was looking and left the room once again.

"You didn't close your eyes." He said disapprovingly. The door opened once more, but this time, Charm stepped in.

"I'm here to make sure you won't look." She said and put a blindfold on me.

I could hear fabric rustling and hushed sighs of awe. Hands undid my robe, but before I had the chance to feel embarrassed, I felt soft material sliding down my body.

Someone put down my blindfold and I finally saw what I was going to wear to the interview. It was a beautiful soft violet empire floor length dress with beaded detailing in the waist area. The dress had just one strap. On it were small butterflies in various shades of violet and purple.

"What do you say?" Asked Lyons.

"It is beautiful. Thank you."

"I know." He said with a smug grin on his perfectly sculped face.

"Daring in the deep décolletage, high slit and open back. Sweet in colors and material. And funny in butterflies and you."

"Do I have shoes this time?" I asked curiously.

"Yes you do." He went to the corner of the room and handed me a box. I opened and saw a pretty pair of silver strap shoes. They were to my surprise elegant and not overdone.

I put them on, raised and almost fell over. Lyons steadied me and told me:

"I know you may have never walked in high heels before, but I am not letting you go out there barefoot. You have 1 hour to learn how to walk in them and I don't want to hear no for and answer. Girls!" He ordered and the rest of my prep team rushed into the room with professional boxes presumably full of make-up.

They didn't even let me sit down, saying I will wrinkle my dress. It didn't take them long thankfully. My hair was done already so they left it falling down in loose curls.

I was walking up and down in the hallway, getting used to these shoes. I found out I can handle walking slowly, but when I pick up speed, I look like an impaled zebra. It's just horrible.

"You look pretty."

I turned on spot and saw Morris leaning on wall. He was wearing black suit, crisp white shirt and a dark green bowtie.

"Thanks, you look great too."

"Will you sit down with me?" He gestured to the chairs on the other side of the hall next to small fountain.

"I would love to. But I can't."

"Why?"He asked furrowing his forehead.

"Lyons forbid my so. I tied to sit, but every damn time they come before I have the chance to do so. It's like I have an alarm in my butt or something."

"That is weird." He said sitting down.

I propped myself on the wall, heart beating loudly in my chest. I was nervous that I was going to screw everything up and look like an idiot on a screen.

"I'm sorry that I left you alone for these last days."He said, looking down. I smiled a little and gently hit in the arm.

"It is hard to resist young love." I said dreamily. Morris blushed and refused to look at me.

"It's alright. I was Peeta and with…. With Peeta most of the time." I stumbled over my words, nearly revealing that I was with Cato.

"And with whom else?" Asked Morris, obviously catching up at my mishap.

"Just somebody." I said trying to avoid telling him the name.

"I don't belie…" He was cut off by an avox, who handed me a small envelope and left right away. I looked at Morris curiously and opened it. Inside was a letter with my name on it. I would recognize it anywhere.

"It's from my dad." I said to him.

_Dear Coreen,_

_I am sorry that we didn't have the chance to say goodbye. I will regret it for the rest of my life. We are doing here as good as is possible in given situation. It is hard here without you. You looked beautiful at the chariots. We are proud of you._

_We love you. Mom & Dad_

Tears were slowly falling down my face. I handed the letter to Morris to read it.

Our mentors suddenly appeared. I quickly dried my face and we were rushed off to a common room for tributes, where we were waiting.

There were cameras already and few tributes as well.

In just a few minutes, the room was crowded with all tributes. I spotted Peeta but Katniss was still around him, keeping him on a tight leash.

I leaned on a table, watching Morris holding hands with Rue. My eyes found in the crowd clear blue one's and I knew I was looking at Cato. I lowered my eyes downwards, blush creeping on my cheeks.

Then the interviews began.

Glimmer, wearing scandalously sheer pink dress, was in for sexy and seductive.

To me she looked awkward and unnatural. I was grimacing the whole time she was being interviewed and Marvel was having a blast watching my faces. When he stood next to me, ready to go next I told him:

"Don't make do those faces when you'll be there." I threatened but he just grinned and went on the stage.

He was very funny and confident. I was smiling the whole time and when he came back, I gave him thumbs up.

Next was Cato. I couldn't tear my eyes from the screen. He presented himself as a ruthless vicious killing-machine. But boy, did he look good. My stomach was doing flips watching him. It was strange but I was insanely attracted to him. His power and arrogance suited him really good.

Till now, Vale didn't make himself known to me. But the second Cato left, who walked quickly next to me almost breathing on my neck.I didn't dare to move a lot, scared that I would touch him.

When Cato came back, he went to stood next to me when he noticed Vale He gave him such a look, that he would have dropped dead right away. Vale understood the unspoken message and backed away. Cato then stayed not too close tome to stir suspicion, but not too far either. He purposefully leaned on the table as well, his arm brushing against mine.

I completely forgot that I was supposed to be interviewed taking in his smell of spices, woods, musk and a touch of lingering fruits.

I would have easily dosed off to a deep slumber, but he put his hand on my bare back.

"You're next." He whispered into my ear.I didn't even realized that time flew so fast.

I didn't dare to look at him. I probably wouldn't have handled it.

I stood by the entrance to the stage and was listening closely to catch my name being called. When it happened, my nerves escalated again and I nearly passed out. Thankfully, my subconscious mind took over and I slowly walked to standing Caesar.

I sat down and looked Ceaser in the face.

"Wow. You're so blue." I said surprised. He looked a bit different live than on the screen.

"I change color every year. Do you like it?" He asked, smoothing back his hair.

'I love it." I said enthusiastically. Now I knew that I will joke around, say stupid things and make a fool out of myself.

"Why thank you." He responded with a huge smile on his face.

"You looked very relieved to sit in this chair. I'm intrigued. Most tributes are a bit nervous. Why is that?" He looked genuinely interested. He was doing his job very well.

"My shoes are killing me." I crossed my legs, the slit revealing my 4 inch shoes. Audience laughed and I could see few Capitol women nodding in agreement.

"And my stylist Lyons didn't allow me to sit, saying I'll wrinkle my dress. He is such a diva." Caesar laughed and I let myself relax.

"What about those butterflies. I believe I'm right when I say that those were butterfly's wings at the Chariot ride?"

"They were supposed to be. But I though they looked more fairy-like. District 9 is the perfect place for butterflies. They fly around nearly all year long. "

"You seem like a very likeable and funny girl. Have you befriended some of the tributes?" He asked curiously, his brown eyes looking into mine.

"Thank you. Actually my best friend is here. His name is Peeta. I have known him for so long. But I dare to call my friend even more tributes, especially Morris, my district partner. He looks young, but he is wise beyond his age." By the 'more tributes' I meant Clove, Marvel and Cato. But I rather kept that to myself.

"And have you taken a liking to somebody?" He half whispered half shouted for everyone to hear him. I blushed, immediately thinking of Cato.

"She's blushing." He notified and the audience made an 'ooh' noise.

"So there is someone.. Who is it?" He asked, leaning forward eagerly.

"That's for me to know and you to find out." I said with a wink and laughed.

Caesar stood up, taking my hand in his making me stand as well.

"Ladies and gentleman, the Daring Butterfly of District 9, Coreen Mahoney!" He shouted and the audience cheered. I waved at them smiling and walked away.

* * *

When I was in the tribute room, I noticed that only the ones that were next were left. I took of my shoes and sat on a couch. Morris was already with Caesar, talking animatedly about his experience here. He was doing good. Caesar asked him about volunteering for his older brother and the audience was getting tearful.

"He is putting on quite a show, isn't he?" Said a voice next to me. I didn't bother checking the person's face and instantly hugged him.

It was Peeta. I tugged him close to me, breathing in the familiar smell of freshly baked bread and honey. I relished in his warmth, leaning into him.

"I'm so scared." I whispered into his jacket.

"Everything is going to be fine. We'll figure it out. I promise." I looked into his warm dark butterscotch eyes.

"I trust you."I said, my voice breaking at the end. He didn't say anything, just pulled me closer.

"Dad wrote me a letter. He said they were doing fine."

"That's good."

"I know. But he didn't mention mom. How she was doing. Do you think that something bad happened and he didn't tell me?" I asked worried and looked Peeta in the eyes.

"I'm sure that not. They are all right. Don't worry. I have to go Cory, I'm next." He said and we stood up and went to the door. He had a bit nervous but determined look on his face.

"Go and steal their hearts Peeta." I said and kissed him on cheek. He smiled at me and walked on the stage.

I turned to sit on couch and watch him. Glimmer stood there with a forgotten stole in her hands smiling cruelly. I just gave her a look and sat down.

* * *

Peeta did absolutely amazing.

_He really did steal their hearts. _I thought when I was putting on my pyjamas. I snuggled deep under the covers and closed my eyes.

My door opened and I could hear a shuffling of feet. Someone slid under the covers and wrapped hands around my middle.

"I couldn't sleep." Mumbled Morris.

"It's okay." I said softly and ran my fingers through his hair. His breathing slowed down and he started slightly snoring.

I hoped it's okay. Tomorrow, we were going to the arena. To a certain death. And I don't feel very okay about this fact.

_Disclaimer: I own nothing from the Hunger Games._

_Unfortunately, I have to go to school tomorrow so I won't have so much time to write. It is my personal goal to update at least two times a week. Hopefully, I will create some routine and later settle for the same days in week to update. _

_I already have in my mind what I am going to do with this story. For now, I have planned a completely different ending than in the books. In the next chapters, I will alter some events and order of them,so that it would suit my story. But maybe it will change. We'll see. _

**nicolio**: _**Thank you. Vale is really creepy and scary. And that ginger hair doesn't add him on likeability. I'm looking forward to the arena as well.** _

**SadieKaneNico39** _and_ **creativewriter17** _thanks so much for favoritng my story._

**The Wind Whispers To Me** _and_ **creativewriter17**_ thanks a lot for following my story. _

_Thanks for reading. Lia_


	9. Chapter 9

I woke up early, unable to sleep any longer. It felt like I have a huge stone in my stomach that weights me down.

I locked myself in the bathroom and let the water run, so that I wouldn't weak Morris with my tears. I was sobbing and weeping. My throat was letting out a pathetic cries worth a dying animal.

No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't stop.

I couldn't breath, so I lay on the cold floor. My mind slowly shut down and I was able to think more clearly.

I stripped mechanically and stepped in the shower. I stood there numbly and let the water fall down on my body. It was warm and awakes me. I used a nettle shampoo and body wash. I didn't need to smell like roses or raspberries in the arena.

I stepped out of the shower and stood in front of mirror. I looked at myself seeing a completely different person.

I smiled forcefully, stretching my face. I was smiling until it felt more natural. I put a robe on, dried my hair and went to the dining room.

Elma, Darby and Francine were wildly discussing the interviews but fell silent when I stepped into the room.

"Good morning." I greeted them with a smile trying to break the tension. When they realized that I smiled, their chatter filled my ears and I instantly felt better. Tiptoeing around me would feel even worse.

I sat down and Elma put in front of me croissant with hot chocolate. I ate slowly with stone still in my stomach.

"How are you feeling?" Asked Darby, who was sitting next to me, slowly sipping on his coffee.

"Good. Thanks for asking." I replied and bit into the croissant.

"Are you ready?" Asked Francine, cutting boiled eggs with knife. I raised eyebrows at her actions.

"I'm not really ready to die but there is nothing I can do about it." I said honestly and watched as she plunged the knife deep in her egg. She let go off the knife and looked me dead in the eye.

"Why do you insist making fun of everything?" She asked angrily.

I calmly swallowed a gulp of hot chocolate and said: "For me, it is better to live with a joke, rather than with a knowing that I am going to die."

Francine looked at me insulted and went to wake up Morris.

Elma and Darby looked at each other uncertainly, and continued talking about my interview.

"You did great, Cory." Praised me Elma.

"Thanks. I was nervous as hell."

"Morris really got under their skin as he explained why he volunteered for his older brother." Said Elma.

"He did. But that boy from 12. What's his name?" Asked Darby.

"Peeta." I answered automatically.

"Yes him." He said and buttered another toast."He stole the show when he said that he loves his district partner."

He did. I was proud of him that he finally revealed his feelings for him.

"And what about you?" Nudged me Elma. "Who's your lover boy?"

"There is no one." I hid my face and bit into my half-eaten croissant.

"So what's his name?" Asked Darby.

"There's no name." I mumble. Francine steps into the room with sleepy Morris in tow.

"You have less than one hour. Then you will be escorted into the hovercraft."Francine said and jabbed Morris in shoulder with her finger to wake him up.

_Less then hour. _That was the only thing in my head now. I stood up, excused myself and rushed to the hall outside of the apartment for fresh air.

I closed the door behind me and leaned on it, closing my eyes.

I tried to calm my nerves my deep breathing but nothing could help me to calm down in this situation.

The elevator dinged and Cato stepped out. He immediately saw me and strode in long steps to me. There was something in his face that I didn't recognize.

He slammed me into the wall, with his forearm across my collarbone and faces just inches from mine.

"What's with you slamming me into the walls all the time?" I asked jokingly with a smile on my face.

"If I were you, I would shut up or I will make you." His icy tone sent shivers down my spine. I was confused by his behavior.

"What is going on?"I asked, my forehead scrunched up.

"When we will get into the arena, I would steer clear of me." He snarled and pushed me even more.

"But why?" I still didn't understand. Yesterday, he was completely fine.

"You can't fool me you little liar." His eyes burned with hatred towards me as he was saying these words. "I know about you and that lover boy. Thought that you could kill me in the arena by pretending to care? Not anymore princess." He laughed dryly. My eyes were wide and my mouth open. I had no idea what he was talking about.

"Stop being stupid. It is not.."

"Shut up! No one cares about those filthy words you are going to say. Save them for the last few second of your life before I kill you." He interrupted me and stalked off back to the elevator.

I slumped against the wall, feeling dead already.

I won't last seconds in the arena with Cato and Vale after me.

* * *

I stood with Morris in front of hovercraft for tributes to go into the arena. I was looking at it with fearful eyes.

Elma and Darby stood behind us. I turned to say goodbye to them.

"I don't want to this to be like I'm never going back, so.." I mumbled. "See you tomorrow." I said with a small smile and hugged each one of them.

"Morris. WE are in this together. Do not think for a second that I would abandon you. We will find each other and fight the odds together."I promised and hugged him too.

I turned around and didn't look back.

When I entered the hovercraft, this lady with a uniform guided to me some kind of chair or seat that was part of the wall. Next to me was Vale. I scooted over to the very edge of the seat. He was looking at me again.

I sat down, strapped myself on and looked around myself. Directly in front of me was seated Cato. He was looking at me with a murderous look in his eyes, but didn't look concerned at all at Vale being close to me. His fingers were clenching the arms of the seats even though they were made from metal and his knuckled were white. I averted my eyes and looked on my shoes.

"Your arm, please." Said the lady and I held in front of me. She took it in her hand and pressed tip of this strange apparatus to my skin. It stabbed into my forearm putting something under my skin. It hurt like hell and I cradled it in my hands. At least I didn't yelped, since it was over quickly.

"Your arm, please." I looked up and the lady was in front of Cato. He held out his bulky arm and when she put the device under his skin he didn't even flinch. He showed no sign of pain and kept looking at me.

A hand touched my arm and I jumped back startled. Vale had his hand on mine over the place the chip was put in. He pressed his fingers on the spot and a jolt of pain went through me. He smiled sadistically.

"Don't touch me." I hissed and yanked my arm from his hold.

"Wait until the arena. I have so much in store for you." He whispered in sickly soft voice and turned away. Tears of fear gathered in my eyes.

I didn't dare to look at Cato. I cradled my hand, looked at my shoes again and hoped that this flight would be soon over.

* * *

Four Peacemakers took me to my launch room. Lyons was already there.

In black.

"Seriously Lyons? Black? It's not my funeral yet." I went to sit on a chair next to where he was standing. He refused to look at me. He put his hand over his eyes and sniffed.

"Lyons?" I asked softly and stood up. He sniffed again and blew his nose in a black napkin. I rolled my eyes at his histrionics. I hugged him and put my head on his shoulder.

We stood there for a while. "Red eyes won't look sexy." I commented lightly and earned a small giggle from him. He drew away from me, dabbed his eyes with napkin and took a few deep breaths.

"Better?" I asked encouraging. He nodded and looked at me.

"What did you do to your hair?" He asked and took a hold of my ponytail.

"Nothing. Why?" I asked.

"They're not so shiny anymore."

"I used nettle shampoo. I don't want to smile like freaking roses in the arena." I explained.

"That's it! We have to cover it up somehow." He started playing with my hair putting in few hairdos. He finally settled for a high ponytail and braided it.

I asked him for a few more elastics in case I lose some. I would go crazy with my long hair flying all over the place. Then he showed my arena wear.

"Green. Nice. I could blend in with nature, if there will be any plants at all."

"That is not just a green." Pointed out Lyons. "It is bottle green."

"Thanks for the knowledge."I said sarcastically and went to dress to the party. The shirt fitted my snugly in all places. I was glad that it wasn't too tight across my chest. I had a dark grey cargo pants with a belt, dark grey jacket with a hood and dark brown combat boots.

"1 minute to the launch." Said an artificial voice through the speakers.

"It's time." I said and my nerves that I was trying to hide so hard showed up again in full force. My hands were shaking, eyes darting all over the room and heart going crazy in my chest.

Lyons looked my directly in my eyes and said in a serious voice: "You are going to be fine. I believe in you. I trust you. It is okay."

"Will it hurt?" I asked, choking on my own words. Lyons looked shocked at my question.

"Tell the truth." I begged.

"Maybe." He admitted. "But in the end, everything will be good. Trust me on that one okay?" He asked in a hopeful voice.

"I trust you that everything will be okay and you trust me that I am going to be fine." I summarized.

"20 seconds to the launch." I looked at the speakers and wanted to smash them for shortening my time. I walked slowly to the glass tube. Before I stepped in, I paused and turned back to Lyons.

"We have a deal." I said firmly. He agreed and quickly hugged me.

I stepped in the tube, the glass door sliding in place.

"See you later." I shouted to him and the door locked.

'You too." He mouthed.

The tube suddenly jerked upward. I looked at Lyons once more until he disappeared from my view.

* * *

Bright light blinded me for a second, but I quickly regained my vision back.

Green. Everything is green.

That was the first thing that went through my mind.

Forest, lake and a wheat field not far away from here.

Morris came into my view. He already saw me and was looking at me. I sent him a small nod so that he would know that I am aware that he is not far away.

Straight ahead of me was shiny Cornucopia. There was so much weapons in there that every tribute could have at least two. But I knew better than to try my luck and try to get some of them. The careers would kill me before I could even touch the weapon.

I didn't bother to waste my time looking for them or Vale, but I saw Cato anyway. He was leaning forward to run to the mouth of the Cornucopia, ready to kill everyone that would stand in his away. And then to kill anyone he could when he would get his sword.

9

I looked to my left and surprisingly saw Peeta.

8

He was looking at me with pained eyes.

7

'Good luck' I mouthed to him.

6

He did the same and turned to look at Katniss.

5

I didn't bother leaning forward.

4

Instead I tuned my back to the Cornucopia and signaled Morris to do the same.

3

2

1… Let the Games begin.

* * *

And I ran the second the timer showed zero. I ran faster than ever before in my life. I was trying to find Morris in the mass of running and fighting people. Screams of pain entered my brain.

I spotted Morris and ran to him. I grabbed his hand and ran to the forest. Some girl with light brown hair crossed our path. Morris's hand slipped away from mine and I stopped.

"Morris!" I screamed and ran after him. He was running to a bag about 10 feet away from us that was a bit too close for my liking next to the Cornucopia..

I was furious with him, but I focused on getting to him and running away from here.

A girl with knife jumped in front of me and lashed out at me. I ducked from it and prepared myself for another one coming.

Sword slashed her in the neck, causing her blood to spurt on my left arm.

The same sword that slit her throat was now resting on mine.

I was too shocked by her death to move.

"Fly away butterfly I wanna save some fun for later." The blood from the blade was dripping on my neck and trailing further down.

I looked up in Cato's face. He was flushed a bit and had a mad air around him, ready to kill anything that moved.

I noticed that Morris was now standing near the forest with a bag in his hand. I looked in Cato's eyes once more and sprinted away.

_Disclaimer: I own nothing from Hunger Games._

_Thanks for the follow_** Avery-13.**

**jolenelovedancex3**_: **Thank you. I like to**** think******__ that he is_ very protective and fiercely loyal to those close to him.

_I finally updated. The school is crazy but when it wasn't. I am very happy that I finally got to the arena, because that's where it is all going to happen. Your reviews make my day and motivate me to write better and more. So a big thanks goes to all of you who reviewed, followed or favorited my story. _

_Thanks for reading. Lia_


	10. Chapter 10

I always thought that if it were needed I would be able to run miles and miles.

That is not true, as I found out.

I ran about two miles and I already thought that I can't run more. My legs were hurting, my lungs burning and my side was hurting too.

"Morris." I wheezed out. He was running all the time ahead of me, from time to time looking over his shoulder if I was still there. He stopped and adjusted the straps of the bag.

"Could we please slow down?" I begged. I put my hands on my knees and breathed deeply. After few moments I was able to breath normally and then walked over to Morris. I took off my jacket and tied it around my waist.

"What was that about?" Morris asked after we began walking.

"What do you mean?"

"Well that blonde career on the clearing at the Cornucopia." He said and jumped over a fallen tree.

"He was just being a thick-headed idiot. That's all." I answered casually. That idiot thought that I had something with Peeta. And of course wouldn't give me the chance to explain everything to him.

"Hey!" I called out when I remembered something.

"You!" I said angrily and marched up to Morris. "What did you think you were doing? Getting the bag? That was really stupid you know."

"Well." Morris said sheepishly.

"Well what?" I put my hand on waist and glared at him.

"I thought it would be good to have at least something." He admitted. I sagged my shoulder. He was right. Without him, we wouldn't have anything.

"What's in there?" I asked curiously.

We sat down on a log and Morris opened the bag. There were purification pills, bottle, dried fruits and a jacket.

"We should find some place to hide, even better would be to find water." I started walking again through the forest. There was nothing eatable in my sight. All around me were trees, ferns and few bushes.

* * *

After two hours of hiking, we still haven't found anything. No water, no shelter. And it was already getting a bit dark.

"I'm thirsty." Moaned Morris and lay on the ground.

"I know. I would drink even onion tea. And that's something." I said and sat next to him.

"I don't like this, but it seems we will have to climb the trees for the night and stay there." I said uncertainly.

Morris lifted his head from the ground. "I don't mind it but are you sure that you will climb the tree?" He asked skeptically.

"I believe that when I will have to, I will do it." We'll see about that. I thought I could run and I didn't.

"I'll just have to find the right tree."

Another hour passed and I finally found a tree that I could climb. That meant that there were many branches that I could hold on and the stump was low.

Before we climbed the trees, Morris and I were sitting on grass eating dried fruits. It was nearly completely dark and the temperature was low.

"Do you have a token?" Asked Morris and bit into dried apple.

"No. Do you?" He nodded and showed me his wrist. He had a simple string bracelet on.

"Brother gave it to me."

"Romar?" I asked surprised.

"Yes."He answered. "It is actually his. When we were in the Justice building, when my family came to say goodbye, Romar took it of his wrist and put it on mine. I had to promise him that I will return it."

I smiled slightly and sighed. "I wonder how my parents are doing. Dad wrote me that they were fine. I can just hope that they are. It's the time for harvest. I'm sure they have hands full of work."

"I'm sure that they are okay." He sent be a small smile and readjusted his legs. "And what about that blonde guy from 2?"

"What about him again?" I asked.

"Are you dating him?" He asked bluntly. I spluttered on raisins that were in my mouth.

"No!" I shouted, my face red. "I'm not."

"But you like him." He stated and played with the grass.

"No." I said unconvincingly.

"Yes you do."

"No."

"Yes."

"Maybe."

"Ye….. wait. Maybe? That's a confirmation." He stated. "What do you like about him?"

"Well…." I trailed off. "He's…. Wait! Why am I even telling you this. Go to sleep kid."I playfully ordered.

Morris rolled his eyes and I packed the fruit back in the bag.

"Morris. I am coming with you so you can climb a tree and when I will approve that you are high and safe enough I will go to climb this one. Tomorrow, I'll wait for you in my tree and when you will wake up, you will whistle a tune. Then I will go to your tree. And take the jacket." I said and put it around his shoulders.

"Hey! I'm not going to wear a jacket if you are not wearing one." He pointed out.

"I am warm. And I'm older. You have to listen to me." I said smugly. He grumbled but put the jacket on anyway. I saw his frown on his face in the dusk.

His tree was about hundred feet away from mine. I didn't want it to be too close in case someone would find me or too far away to not be able to help Morris. He had no problem climbing this tall tree. He wasn't afraid of heights and he used to do it back home.

"You okay there buddy?" I called at him. I saw just his outline very high in the treetop.

"I'm fine. Go to your tree!"

"Goodnight!" I said and walked over to mine tree.

I stood in front of the tree with a determined look on my face. I raised my leg and placed it in a crook of the bark. I raised my self up, grabbing a branch.

"Success number one, no longer on the ground." I mumbled to myself and got a hold of another branch. I hoisted myself up and placed foot on a broken one. I was thankful that I didn't see clearly in the dusk how high I am. I continued this pattern about five minutes in row and then stopped on a sturdy branch and sat on it, my legs dangling from it.

I looked down to estimate how high I am. It looked like about ten feet. But I wasn't sure. You would think that I would get a lot higher after at least five minutes of climbing but finding branches and willing myself to climb wasn't easy.

The branch was uncomfortable and the temperature dropped really low. I knew that Morris found a small dent in the tree where he could hide a bit and not fall off the branch. I had no such luck but there were lots of smaller branches that were around me, making me a bit calmer about falling.

I tucked myself deeper into the jacket hoping it will provide me some warmth.

I left the bag with Morris. If something happened to me, he would have at least something with what he could survive.

I couldn't drift off for a long time even though I was really tired but I managed to sleep for a while.

* * *

I woke up to a sound of footsteps and excited but hushed whispers. My eyes opened and I looked on the ground that was illuminated by the moon.

Light from torch got in my vision and I blinked a few times to get used to it.

A blonde head appeared and another one followed.

Cato and Glimmer.

Just a few steps after them went Clove and Marvel and Peeta….

Wait.

Peeta?!

What the hell is he doing with the Careers! Seriously is he out of his mind? A person like him has nothing in common with them. He is not capable of killing.

"I can't wait to kill someone." Said Glimmer, gazing at Cato. That little …. Sucking up to Cato.

He didn't even look at her and signaled them to be quiet. I slowed down my breathing so they wouldn't hear me.

"I smell smoke." He said. "Someone started a fire. Let's head that way." He said and pointed his sword in the direction behind me.

My eyes fell on the sword. That thing is huge! I didn't pay much attention to it at the Cornucopia but I didn't remember it being so big.

My hand slipped as I was leaning forward to look at them and I broke a tiny little branch. I immediately ducked behind the tree into the shadow hoping that they won't notice me.

"What was that?" Asked Marvel.

I held my breath and cursed myself at not being more careful.

"Just a squirrel." Said Clove in bored tone.

"You can tell which noise makes a squirrel and which a tribute?" Asked Marvel mockingly.

"Yes I can." Said Clove seriously. " And I can also tell when an idiot is speaking." She finished and others cracked up in laugh.

"Silent." Commanded Cato after a while. "Let's go." I heard crunching of leaves and breathed a sigh or relief.

_They are gone._

A thunk startled me and my eyes fell on a knife embedded in the bark next to me.

I looked down cautiously and saw Clove staring at me with amused eyes.

We were looking at each other when Cato shouted: "Clove, come on!"

"I'm coming." She called back.

I smiled at her in thanks and she winked at me and left.

I pulled the knife out. It was a really good one. Crafty.

I instantly felt more at easy when I held it in my hand.

A scream sounded about few hundred feet away from me and I knew there was one less tribute.

* * *

I thought I would have the luck to sleep a few more hours till the dawn but footsteps woke me up again. It was still dark and cold but the moon was on the other side of the sky.

I looked down but I didn't see any torch light.

It seems that the Careers were already done with their hunt.

But if it weren't they then it has to be some other tribute.

Fear passed over me and settled in my bones, I clutched the knife in my hands. Someone was passing right under my branch.

But they stopped.

Right under me.

My heart was thumping in my chest. I positioned the knife better in my hand in case of an attack.

A boot scratched the bark in a sign of someone climbing on the tree. I heard rustling of leaves on the lower branches and breaths coming from the person. I did a quick math in my head. I climbed here in about seven minutes and nearly everyone is better than me so in this dark it could take the person about half of my time. I could use it to climb even higher. But then... I don't know what then.

Fight them in the tree crown? Not likely.

I abandoned my spot and stood up. I put my hands upwards and tried to feel a branch. Thankfully I did and I hoisted myself up. I was struggling a bit to get my whole body that high but I managed.

I climbed a few more branches but they were getting thinner and thinner. I knew I was nearly on the very top and that I couldn't go higher because they wouldn't support my weight.

The person behind me breathed hard and stopped.

I looked up and saw that the sky was getting lighter.

"I know you're there." Said a sickly sweet voice.

Breath hitched in my throat when my mind recognized the voice.

Vale.

I shut my eyes in an empty wish for him to disappear.

"Come on. Come down here."

_Like the hell I would._

"We could play." He suggested. I was crouched on a branch holding another one for a dear life.

"Don't be so mean. Answer me. I know you're up there." He whispered and chills ran down my spine. I drew in a ragged breath and clutched the knife even tighter.

"I'll catch you." He giggled perversely. "I'm gonna find you." He sang and chuckled to himself. Tears were soundlessly falling from my eyes out of sheer panic and fear.

"I can't wait to get my hands on you. You can't escape me. And when I will find you, believe I will, then we will have so much fun together." I could imagine him closing his eyes in pleasure. Bile rose in my throat. I was utterly terrified and disgusted by this person.

I would rather kill myself then to let his hands get anywhere near me.

"I'll be watching you." He said in the dark. I heard the sound of hands grabbing branches and feet shuffling down toward the ground. When his feet touched the ground and when I heard his retreating footsteps I let out a muffled sob.

I covered my mouth with my hands, the cold metal blade pressing against my cheek. I sunk lower against the bark and hid my face in my knees.

Tears were streaming down my face and complete despair and hopelessness had my heart in a tight grip.

I tried to calm myself down my taking deep breaths and fanning my face.

"He is a creep. With an orange hair. Who the hell has an orange hair anyway?" I rambled to myself trying to lighten the situation.

"I swear to myself that I will kill myself with this knife if he got me." That got me a bit distracted and I started thinking about ways how I could kill myself. Quickly and with the smallest amount of pain inflicted.

* * *

Chirping of birds got my attention. I looked up and the sun was already up. Morris should be up soon.

_Morris! _I screamed in my mind. I put the dagger behind my belt and got ready to climb down. When I looked down I nearly fainted.

I was freaking too high! How am I supposed to go down?

I exhaled and set out climbing. The whole way down I kept looking at the brown bark, occasionally at branches but never down.

"Don't look down. Don't look down. Don't…" I kept mumbling to myself as I continued with my descend.

Suddenly my feet touched the ground. I smiled in relief.

I looked around myself.

No sign of Vale or any other tributes. Good.

I spotted the tree that Morris climbed on yesterday and walked to it.

I looked in the crown but saw no sign of him. Slight panic overtook me and I started circling around the stump, still looking up.

_He isn't there. _I realized.

Suddenly happened something that I didn't expect.

I sneezed. Loudly.

"That was an attractive face right there before the sneeze." Commented a familiar voice from behind me. I turned around and hugged Morris tightly.

"Good morning to you too." Said Morris into my hair. I released him from my hug a looked at him. He had a healthy color in his face, his green eyes twinkling, light brown hair messy and a smile on his lips.

"What was that about?" He asked meaning the hug. There was no way I would tell him about Vale. He would surely do something stupid and I didn't want that.

"I have a Free Hugs day. There is nothing wrong about it. And I sneeze so I could be sick. I needed some comfort in these dark times of disease." I said defensively. "You are so pretty today , Mo. You could pass for a girl."

He laughed and ruffled my hair.

"Where did you get a knife?" He asked interested pointing to my belt.

"I found it on the ground." I said hoping he won't ask anything. When I saw him opening his mouth, I quickly added: "We have to find water. Let's go."

Morris didn't need to be told twice and we set off.

_I just had to post another chapter today and that all thanks to your lovely reviews, follows, favorites and views.I am still a bit sick, but I was in school this week already. I had to learn a lot, so I am very happy that it id Friday already. But a touch weekend is ahead of me . I have to decide where I want to apply for university. And I am that kind of person that can't decide which shampoo I want and not which university I want to apply to. Oh well. _

**Nevergonnafitin**_ thanks for the follow!_

**maddielal56**_**: Thank you so much for the review and adding my story to favorites.** _

**mdt9832**_**: Such a compliment. My ego will burst! He is a fool, but a lovable one. Thank you for your review.** _

**EGilly_: OMG! Thanks so much. It is a bit messed up, but it... and I won't say what. I want it to be a surprise. And thank you for being the first person to revie__w__ twice._**

_Thanks for reading. Lia_


	11. Chapter 11

Finding water was a lot harder than I thought. Our mouths were parched and we were tired. Morris even stopped grumbling about how thirsty he was. We were just walking through the forest with no success.

I heard a small thud behind me and saw that Morris lay on the ground defeated.

"Get up Mo." I said.

"No. I just can't go further." He moaned and covered his eyes with hand to shield himself from the sun.

"But we have to." I tried to convince him but he just shook his head and stayed there.

It was no use to persuade him to stand up so I lay next to him. My legs were hurting and I had a sore throat from the cold night spent in the tree.

An interesting sound reached my ears.

"Do you hear that?" I asked.

"No. I don't hear anything." Said Morris confused. I scrunched up my eyebrows and listened harder.

"Doesn't it sound like a running water?" I asked, hope evident in my voice.

"No." Deadpanned Morris. I raised my head. I was sure that there has to be water somewhere around here.

I took the bag in my hands, stood up and went after the faint sound. Maybe that sound was just my ears playing tricks on me. I walked about hundred feet, but bushes blocked my path. I frowned and stepped in them, determined to see what hidden behind them.

My foot got stuck in mud and I yelped at its coldness.

Mud. That means there has to be water. At least it should.

I stuck my hands into the bushes and pulled myself to the other side. Branches and small thorns grazed my arms and face. I finally got on the other side and saw a stream. There was a tiny lake further up surrounded by big boulders and a wall of stone. That seemed like the source of the water.

I smiled in relief and rushed to get Morris.

He was nearly asleep when I got to him. I slightly pressed my muddy foot on his cheek leaving a footprint.

He cracked on eye open and glared at me. "What was that for?"

"Soil plus what makes mud?" I leaned over him and smudged the footprint over his nose. He looked confused for a second but then his face brightened. He jumped up, nearly making me fall backwards.

"Where?" I gestured him to follow me. When we got to the stream, he had an excited expression on his face and shot forward.

Before he had the chance to drink from it, I tackled him.

"Morris." I snapped. "It could be poisoned and polluted." I said and let him go. I pulled out the bottle and purification pills. I filled it up and put the pill in it.

I sat with Morris on a big boulder and were watching the bottle with anticipation. We agreed that we should wait about an hour and then try it.

* * *

"Is it done already?" Asked Morris. That was his tenth time to ask this since we started waiting.

"No." I said in a monotone voice.

"And will it be finished?"

"I don't know. Let's wait few more minutes and then I'll try it."

He nodded satisfied with my answer, when he realized something. "Hey! Why you?" He asked angrily.

"And why not? I will do it. I am responsible for you and I am not going to risk anything." I argued.

"That is just plain stupid and you know that." He reasoned.

"You think wrong."I snapped back.

"Give me the bottle." He said and outstretched his hand.

I looked at him and without a hesitation brought the bottle to my lips taking a large gulp, soothing my aching throat. Morris looked at me with wide eyes, his mouth open in shock.

"What did you just do?"He asked incredulously.

"What does it look like." I replied sarcastically. I sat down, paying attention to my body for any reaction. After ten minutes of silence I stated: "I think it's good for drinking."

Morris than drank the whole bottle after I said that. Right after that we noticed a hare coming out of the forest and drinking from the stream. So much for a pill.

* * *

I sent him to look for willow branches because there were a few of these trees by the bank of the stream. I went to the small lake since I saw there sweet flag and I planned to make nets for fishing.

I let Morris have the knife to cut off the branches and I grabbed a sharp rock to cut the leaves.

I was minding my own business when a rustling of bushes across the small lake captured my attention. My eyes were jumping from one bush to another looking for a possible threat.

A movement rustled the leaves again. I stood up, gripping the rock tightly in my hand.

_I'll be watching you. _Vale's words echoed in my brain.

He is here.

My eyes were scanning the bank looking for him. But I saw nothing.

_Maybe it was just a squirrel. _

I loosened my tense shoulders and squatted down to the leaves. I already had a small pile of it.

I was cutting the leaf with the rock, when a shadow fell over me. I froze, my hand holding the leaf in place.

My eyes fell on the peaceful surface of lake.

I saw an outline of a person, a tall and lanky one with orange hair.

It is him.

I didn't dare to turn around. I stayed where I was and started cutting the leaf again. I had my eyes opened and adrenaline along with fear was rushing through my veins.

"Hey there Corlie." He said. I felt a hand slowly brushing my back and shoulder blades. It made my skin crawl. I recoiled from it and leaned forward.

I stood up and turned around to face him. He hasn't changed, he is still disgusting.

"I found you." He said and tucked a stand of hair behind my ear. His hand lingered on my face, caressing my cheek.

I stepped back. "Don't touch me. And my name is Cory. Not Corlie." I hissed.

His hand stayed in the air not moving. He sighed almost disappointed and lowered his hand. He shook his head and smiled at me.

I stared at his face, looking for any signs of immediate danger. I just hope that Morris wouldn't come while he is still here.

"We belong together." He said with a small smile playing on his thin lips.

I shook my head and took another step back.

"Yes we do. You just don't see it. But I promise that you will realize this when we will be together."

"We don't belong together." I said silently. His eyes darkened upon hearing my words.

He raised his hand again and made a move to touch me again, when something whizzed pass my head and hit his hand. He turned at the impact holding his hand. When he straightened, I saw that he had his right hand pierced with a knife.

_Clove. _

He looked at his wound. His hand was bloody. The knife was protruding from the back of his hand, flesh ripped apart. My stomach was clenching in disgust.

He took the knife and pulled it out. It made a revolting noise of muscles tearing. When he pulled it out, he kept the knife in his hand and looked behind me searching for someone who threw the knife his hand bleeding profusely.

Another knife flew next to me, but Vale moved quickly and avoided it. It flew behind him and landed somewhere between the bushes.

He touched my face and slid his bloodied hand across my face, leaving a smudge.

"We'll see each other again." He promised in a coarse voice, turned on the spot and ran away in the forest.

I stood there numb. I dropped the stone and with my hand smeared the blood on my face. I just couldn't move at all. I mechanically turned and walked to the water. I wetted my hand and tried to remove the smudge.

Splashing caught my attention but I didn't look up. A hand grasped my arm making me face the person.

"Did he hurt you?" Clove asked frantically.

"No." I whispered and continued rubbing my cheek.

"How did he find you?"She asked and crouched next to me, knifes ready in her small hands.

"I think he kept me following since he saw me in that tree." I put my hand in the water and it immediately turned red.

"In the tree?"

"Yes. I think it was a few hours after you gave me the knife. He somehow found me."

"You don't look well. Are you sick?"She asked.

"I got a bit sick. It's probably from the night spent in the tree. It was really cold." I said and as on cue sneezed.

"Maybe I could grab something from our camp and get something for that cold."

"Where is the knife I gave you?" She asked after a while.

"I gave it to Morris to cut willow branches. I'll make nets and ropes and I'll use it to catch something." I explained and finished washing my face. "Why are you here?" I asked curiously and wiped my face in the shirt.

"Our camp is not far away from here. I went to find wood so I walked against the stream and found you. This streams runs to the big lake at the Cornucopia. It looks like this is the biggest source of water in the arena." She said and I went to cut the sweet flag leaves again.

"How are the others?"I asked.

She gave me a look and said: "I know you want to know how Cato is."

"Maybe." I suggested and sat next to the pile of the leaves and grabbed a few and started to weave the leaves in a basic net technique.

"I know you do." She rolled her eyes at me. "He is grumpy and in bad mood, wanting to kill all the time. He still thinks that you and twelve have something together."

I opened my mouth to defend myself but Clove beat me to it. "I know you don't. Nearly everyone else knows you don't. But Cato is stubborn and too proud to accept that he could have been wrong. He is just sulking."

"Why is Peeta with you?"I asked.

"He said he will take us to Katniss and you. And Cato jumped at the chance of killing the Fire bitch and finding you. So he let him stay after nearly killing him."Clove chuckled.

I scrunched up my eyebrows. That doesn't seem like Peeta.

"I should go." Clove said and stood up. "Be careful. That guy from 6 is dangerous." She went to get the knife that was in the bushes and left.

* * *

A while after she left, Morris returned with hand full of willow branches.

"I'm hungry." He complained and put the knife next to me.

"Eat the rest of the fruit and hope that we'll be able to catch something." I sighed and started making thin ropes and then interlaced them together.

After few hours, the hunger in my stomach turned into a numb feeling, but at least I had the net done already. Morris and I put it in the water and went to search for a place to hide for the night.

We went behind the lake, hoping we would find some cave. But no such luck. When we climbed on the top of the stone wall, we had a good view on the Cornucopia and the lake.

When I checked the net after we climbed down, I found there a big fish.

"Morris!"I screamed at him. He rushed to me worried that there was some tribute.

"There is a fish."I said pointed to the splashing animal caught in net.

"I thought that someone was attacking you, Cory." He said annoyed.

"Well I'm sorry."I snapped. "But fish is just as scary." I said, defending myself.

"Are you serious?" Morris asked laughing, but grabbed the net anyway and took it to the bank. We sat on the stones and were looking at it. Morris with a hungry look on his face and me with distaste.

"Who is going to do it?" He asked and scratched his chin.

"Do what?' I asked dumbly.

"Well, kill it."

"Kill it?" I asked horrified.

"I'm not going to eat it raw."He said, twirling blade of grass between his lips.

"I don't want to kill it. It's bad enough that I have to eat it."

"Okay." He agreed and added: "So you can hold it while I'll will kill it."

"I'm not going to touch it. " I said looking at the fins and scales.

"Then you have to kill it." Said Morris with a smug smile on his face. "What do you prefer, a knife or a stone?"

"How the hell I'm supposed to know? What do you think would be better?" I asked him for an advice, getting ready mentally for this task.

"Well, considering your stunning knife skills, I would suggest a rock." I slapped him on the back of his head for his remark about my skills with knife.

He stood up and took the fish in his hand. It kept flailing it's tins and jerking in every direction. Morris slapped it on the boulder we were sitting a while ago, holding the fish in place. It kept opening it's weird mouth and closing it again.

"He looks angry."I said pointing my finger at his head.

"He?" Morris looked up from the fish to me.

"It doesn't look female." I objected.

"Are we seriously having this debate now? Just kill it already, will you?"

I looked the fish in face and exhaled. I picked up the heavy stone in my hand and raised it in the air.

"I just can't kill it when he is looking at me."I grumbled and went to looked for some big leaf that would cover it's head.

I gingerly put it over it's head when once I found the leaf and patted it's head with my finger.

"Bye bye fishy." I said and raised the stone once more. I shut my eyes and smashed the stone on it's head. After I did it, I quickly let go of the stone and jumped back.

"Is it dead?" I asked Morris tentatively.

"Yes."

I let out a sigh of relief. "Could you prepare it while I'll go to fins some herbs?" I asked and walked away without hearing an answer.

* * *

I didn't found much, just a few leaves of something to basil.

When I returned, Morris was already waiting for me with a makeshift place for cooking. The fish was cooked in a while for what I was thankful because I didn't want to risk having fire longer than necessary.

After we ate, we masked the remains of fire and went to look for a tree to climb for the night. When we found one, Morris went to limb it first and then I went. He kept encouraging me and thanks to him, I was able to climb as high as he did.

This time, he insisted that we have to stay close and keep each other warm. So I leaned on the stump, with Morris sitting between my legs and resting his back on my torso. We were both on a sturdy branch, around 30 feet from the ground, so I felt a bit safer than yesterday. I tied the rope I made around our legs to make sure we won't fall.

"I'm glad that I got stuck with you." Said Morris a bit sleepily.

I smiled and stroked his hair. "You're not so bad yourself." I said but, Morris was already asleep. He may be 15 years old, but he is still a kid.

I took the jacket from my shoulders and covered him with it. I already had cold and he doesn't need to have one too.

I was awake for about an hour after he fell asleep when my eyelids started dropping.

I was thinking about today's incident with Vale. It all seemed wrong. Him thinking that I am someone else.

The only thing that I remember last after I closed my eyes was a flash of orange beneath us.

* * *

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_Disclaimer: I own nothing from Hunger Games even though I forgot to post it in the previous chapter._

_Thankfully, there will be finally Cato in the next chapter. I can't wait to write it down. I planned out the way this story should go and it should have about 40 chapters. Maybe less, maybe more or maybe a lot more. I don't know yet. And I am still sick. And I didn't decide to which university I want to apply to. And this looks like to be the longest chapter I ever wrote :). (I have english keyboard on and sometimes it is very confusing, so bear with me if I make stupid mistakes)._

_Just for additional info, **VALE IS INSPIRED BY A REAL PERSON IN MY LIFE** that I had the misfortune to meet. He never spoke to me, never touched me, but every time I see him I feel terrified.  
_

**SFEllie**_ thanks for the follow and _**HaloDestroyer **_thanks for the favoriting. _

**Guest_: _**_Thanks for the review. I like Clove quite a lot._

**germany leger_: _**_Thank you. I implied something in this chapter about what could be wrong with him. But you are right when you assume that there is something wrong with him on the mental level. It will all be explained in later chapters. And one more thing, "I can't wait to get my hands on you." doesn't always have to mean sexual attraction even though it is a bit of that as well._

_Thanks for reading. Lia_

_Reviews would be greatly appreciated._


	12. Chapter 12

After we both woke up at nearly the same time, we went to the lake to wash our faces and drink water to get ready for another day. My hair was messy, so I braided it again. I didn't even know how much of us are left. I was stupid and didn't pay attention to the midnight news about the dead tributes.

_Serves me right. _I thought and swallowed another gulp of water to sooth my sore throat.

"Morris, you can stay here and try to catch another fish if you want but I'm going to try to find some berries or roots or anything eatable." I said.

"Okay." He answered and went to retrieve the net that we hid last night behind rocks.

I walked down the stream looking for some roots but I had no luck.

I decided to try walk through the forest along the stream. As I was walking I heard an obnoxious voice coming from ahead me.

"Cato, when are we going to find another tribute?" Asked Glimmer.

I looked quickly for a place to hide but trees around me were too thin or too thick to climb on or didn't have enough branches.

_Shit. _ I had nowhere to hide and the Careers were slowly getting closer to me.

"I don't know." Cato replied irritably. I jumped behind a thick tree to hide my body.

_What a great cover from a huge blonde career._

I heard as their boots were crushing small twigs that were in their path. They were very close. My heart was beating loudly in my ears. I looked over the high bushes to my left and saw a blonde head peeking out.

_Cato. _I gulped dryly and halted my breath so he wouldn't discover that I was there. The fact that he was so close to me didn't help me to calm down my emotions.

"I don't like that Peeta guy." Glimmer said. Cato stopped and sighed.

"We still haven't found Fire bitch and someone has to guard the supplies." He explained.

"And what about the other girl you're so desperate to find?" She asked tauntingly.

"I can assure that she is none of your concern." He spit out in a warning and started walking again. My head slowly started to spin from the lack of oxygen so I took a deep breath. Much needed air filled my lungs and I closed my eyes in relief. And in that moment, I shifted my feet and snapped a dry branch on the leaf covered ground.

No. That didn't happen.

But what I really did was a lot more stupid than that.

I sneezed.

Right next to careers, especially not far away from the one who wanted to kill me.

"What was that?" Asked Glimmer suspiciously. I heard as she made her way to my hide-out.

_I'm so dead._

Boots appeared in my vision. I looked up and saw Marvel looking at me amused.

"So…." He drawled out. "I suppose that it was a squirrel again. Am I right Clove?" He said her name tauntingly.

Unsure of what to do I waved at him stupidly. He grinned back and looked back to his fellow Careers. Cato was in the front and other were next to tree.

"Of course it was a squirrel." Clove said without a hesitation.

"I don't believe you." Said Glimmer unconvinced. "That's way too much squirrels in such short time."

"Will you move your asses and get going or should I make you do so?" Cato's voice sounded through the group. Marvel's face lost the carefree grin and set in stone.

"We should get going, Glimmer and not to care about what your little brain conjures up. I don't think we could handle Cato being even angrier." Said Clove angrily and along with Marvel went after Cato.

When Marvel was passing Glimmer he said : "If you have any brain at all."

I suppressed a chuckle and waited till she left.

* * *

I skipped to our lake happy with what I found. It was just a few tubers akin to potatoes but it made me very happy anyway.

"Hey ho Morris." I greeted him when I got next to him. I dropped the tubers on the stones and went to clean them of the mud.

"Hey. Guess what?"He asked with an excited grin on his face.

"What?" I asked. "I caught two fishes!" He exclaimed proudly, sticking two medium sized fishes stuck in net in my face. I yelped and fell on my butt. I scrambled away from it, tubers forgotten near the water.

When I was far away from them I said:"Are you stupid Morris? You nearly gave me a heart attack." He just laughed and put the net back in the water.

"You should have seen your face." He said between his laughing. I rolled my eyes at his antics and went to the tubers. "Put those things away from me." I pointed to the net secured by a large stone.

"As you wish." He replied and took the net higher up the stream.

When he made the fishes, I let the tubers in the hot coal. I knew they would be ready in about half an hour, so when they were done I put them on cold side of the stone so they will cool down.

"Do you feel better?" Asked Morris because I sneezed couple of times in few minutes.

"I'm fine." I said and sneezed again.

"I should have made you wear that jacket." He grumbled and wrinkled his forehead.

"Oh please Mo. I get cold all the time. It wasn't just because I didn't have the jacket on." I said trying to make him feel better. It was a good thing that we didn't know each other that well before the Games, otherwise he would know that it was a big fat lie that I have just told. I can get cold from anything. It a surprise that I managed to last so long here without getting ill.

"I'm going to fill the bottle. I'll be right back." I stood up and went to the lake from out small clearing next to it. It was surrounded by trees, so we were hidden from the sun and mostly from the tributes. Of course apart from Vale and me finding Cato anywhere I go.

When I got back, I saw Morris standing with knife in hand. When he saw me he shouted: "Run, Cory!" I dropped the bottle out of shock and looked to where was Morris aiming.

Marvel stood there with spear ready in his right hand, raised in the air and a small backpack on his back.

"Jeez. Guys. You gave me a scare." I said, my voice laces with relief, and picked up the bottle. Marvel upon seeing me put the spear down but Morris didn't move at all.

"Morris. It's fine."I said moving closer to him. "He is a friend." He looked a bit unconvinced but gradually lowered the knife.

"What are you doing here?" I asked him.

"Clove was discussing something with Cato so she sent me." He explained and opened his backpack. He took out few apples and a bottle of water. He threw the bottle at me and I naturally missed it.

"Hey! It could have hit me!" I bent to pick the bottle and opened the lid. "Thanks for it but we have enough water."

"Clove put there some pill and told me to make you drink it whole." He said not knowing what is going on. But I knew it was something against the cold so I started drinking it.

"You two are friends?" Asked Morris. I nearly forgot he was here.

Marvel replied since I was busy chugging down the water: "At the training center. She was different than the others. Not everyone has the guts to make fun of Cato." He commented and sat down not far away from Mo.

"That sounds just like her." Morris chuckled and bit into an apple.

I swallowed the last gulp of water and already started to feel the effects. My throat wasn't hurting as much as before and I generally felt better.

"Hey." Said Marvel, remembering something. "And what about that Val…."

"Who?"I interrupted him loudly, making gestures pointed at Morris who didn't know about my encounter with Vale. And I intended to keep it that way.

"Oh…" Said Marvel as realization dawned on him, "I meant other tributes." He corrected himself and ruffled his hair.

"We saw no one. We are lucky." Answered Morris, who didn't take notice of Marvel's mishap.

Marvel stayed with us for about half an hour but then he had to leave because he too was here under the cover of looking for wood even though they had enough at the Cornucopia. He and Morris got along great, having fun on my expense. Especially when Morris told him about my fear of fishes and my climbing skills.

Marvel had a bit trouble remembering Morris's name, because he had him in mind labeled simply as nine. Then it was my turn to make fun of him by calling him Mo. But it turned out that it wasn't as funny as I thought, because the both looked at each other with strange faces and burst out laughing.

When he left, we finished our lunch and went to the lake to cool down.

"I want something sweet." I whined with my feet in water.

"Oh please. Seriously?" Morris said laying on small stones with his feet in water as well.

"Yes." I replied and stared at the surface of stream. The water was clean and refreshing.

"I think I was blueberries down the stream. I can go there and check it out if you want." He offered and wriggled his toes in water making rippling the surface.

"Don't be silly. You won't go there." I protested and splashed him with water.

The day went slowly, since there was not much to do. We still had food from earlier so we didn't have to do anything. We climbed on the tree earlier, decided to sleep longer. It wasn't such a bad day after all, with Marvel visiting us and with no sign of Vale.

But if I knew what was going to happen the next day I would have prolonged the day as much as I could.

* * *

"There are no fished in here anymore!" Complained Morris loudly, throwing the net next to me.

"You thought that Gamemakers would leave here enough fishes for you to survive another year?" I asked sarcastically, cleaning the tubers. I left some from yesterday so I didn't have to look for them today.

It was time for something akin to lunch and Morris was trying to catch a fish for at least two hours straight. I offered him some of these large roots but he said he was not going to eat something so poor in nutrition. I don't know how he found that out.

"No." He replied irritated.

"Hey. Don't get angry at me." I said.

"I'm not it's just I'm frustrated." He explained and sat down on the bank with a heavy sigh.

"Oh you poor little thing." I cooed at him and hugged him with my dirty hands.

"Stop it." He said and moved away from my reach with smile on his lips.

"I'll go down the stream. Maybe there could be some fishes." He thought out loud.

"You are so smart Morris."I said and took the root in my hand, my voice full of fake awe.

"When the situation calls for it, I can be." He said and I snickered at him. He just shook his head, grabbed the net and walked away.

"See you later!" He called over his shoulder.

"You too."I replied, left alone with my thoughts.

I could say that till now I was quite lucky in these Games. I didn't have to kill anyone and no one was trying to kill me. Well… at least not directly.

I wondered what my death will look like. I assume that Cato would save me as the last. Maybe I won't get the chance to explain things to him, but I hope that I'll have enough time to ask him for a quick death. And to hope that he will fulfill my wish.

Just thinking of him makes me feel all fuzzy. Sure, I had crush on boys before but this is something else. I talked to him and we had fun together. I didn't change into a master of seduction.

No. I was still me. Sometimes awkward and boyish. And he didn't mind it. He just took me the way I am and accepted me. At least till the confrontation before the arena.

Time passed quite quickly while I was thinking and playing with small pebbles in the water, picking the pretty ones and putting them aside.

A splash of water snapped me back to reality. I looked up and saw a fish swimming in the shallow water near me.

Morris!

He still haven't come back. I looked on the sky and saw that sun was slowly setting. It must have been few hours since he left.

My heart beat quickened. I grabbed the backpack, slung it over my shoulder and grabbed the knife in my hand. I set off along the stream, silently praying that I would find him.

I walked fast, my boots splattered with water when I stepped into the stream. My eyes were looking for any indicator where he could be, but I saw nothing.

I was walking for about 40 minutes when I saw his net, caught by a stone, still in the running water.I ran to it, not bothered by the fact that I will get wet. I crouched near it and saw that there were three fishes. I smiled a little that he managed to catch some after all.

But the net was still secured in place, so he has to be somewhere around here to come later to take what he caught.

But there was no sign of him. I stepped on the forest floor, walking around a bit, looking for him. I checked the trees and bushes, but he wasn't there.

"Morris?" I called silently and listened hard. But I was met just with the soft sound o running water and occasional bird chirping.

"Morris !" I said louder and went a bit further.

Still nothing.

I went back to the stream, hoping that he miraculously would be there with a victorious grin on his face and the net in his hand. But he wasn't.

I sighed and lowered my hand. I traced the handle of the knife in my hand, my braided ponytail hanging from my head. I lifted my hand and smoothed the stray hair that fell on my forehead.

That's when I noticed the footprints in the mud. And they were not mine. Morris had a lot bigger feet than me, so they had to belong to him.

A spark of hope settled in my chest and I set out in the direction of his steps. It didn't take me long to lose track of his steps, but I kept going in the course I thought he went.

Small specks of gold entered my view and I noticed few wheat plants at the stumps of the trees around me. Curious, I went further and saw a wheat field.

I stopped in my tracks, knowing what it meant.

I remembered clearly that this field was on the other side of the platform where I stood during the launch.

So I had to be close to Careers again.

I gripped the knife tighter in my hand. "Morris!" I half shouted, half whispered into the field hoping he will emerge from the golden sea unharmed. Well, if he actually went here in the first place.

I set a foot on the field. Ears of grain tickled me in the face, because the wheat was so tall. I was stepping softly, trying to make as little noise as possible. My face was stiff and concentrated.

I knew I was moving slow, but I couldn't go faster. Running through the field was not as possibility.

"Morris!" I whispered again. And again with no response. This sneaking around was getting on my nerves making me nervous and uneasy.

I rustle sounded from my left. I instantly had my knife pointed in that direction. The same sound came from the right and right away sounded before me.

But I had the luck to see a tail disappearing in the whet and I let out a sigh of relief.

_Just a rat, Coreen. Nothing to worry about. _

I rolled back my shoulders relaxing myself a bit when a scream alerted me.

My mind forgot to think at that moment.

It just registered the sound and I immediately went after it. I don't know why I assumed that it was Morris. It easily could have been any other tribute.

I gave up trying to be silent as mice and run at full speed in the direction of the scream.

Another one cut through the air, but this time slightly different. This one was full of pain. It just made me ran faster. I was swinging knife in my hand wildly in front of me, cutting the wheat.

And suddenly I tripped over something hard.

I went flying through the air, landing hard on the ground. Breath got knocked out of my lungs, leaving me emptily gasping for breath. My side was hurting like hell as I landed on my left. My hands were scraped, full of dirt and bleeding.

I slowly sat up, wincing at the pain that went through my body. My arena pants were ripped on the right knee, that was bleeding profusely. A small grits were stuck both in my knee and hands.

I touched my forehead with my less hurting hand trying to make my mind stay in one place. The whole field was spinning a bit, making it hard for me to stand up.

When I finally stood up, I picked up the knife and started walking again, my whole body protesting loudly.

A groan of pain left me lips but I kept walking, even though slower than before.

When my brain was able to process the shapes around me I saw a big form of something on my right. I squinted my eyes, trying to see clearer.

My eyes widened and I hurried to the shape as quickly as I could, limping comically, with the hand that wasn't holding knife cradling my ribs.

I fell on my knees and slowly turned the person, so I could see them in the face.

"Mo, Mo." I moaned out of the sight in front of me. I caressed his cheek.

"Who did this to you? " My voice was teary, my fingers slowly tracing the small dent in his forehead. Blood was steadily dripping from the wound. Tears were slowly falling from my eyes, landing on his face. I closed my eyes in anguish.

"Why is it raining?" Asked a small voice under me, no louder than a whisper.

"Morris!"I said, a teary smile on my face. He opened his dark green eyes. He looked confused and vulnerable.

"Where I am?" He asked, his eyes searching my face for an answer.

I bit back a sob that threatened to escape my lips. He doesn't know where he is.

"We're home, Morris." I whispered and sent him something I hope was an assuring smile.

"That's good." He said slowly, a small smile of content settling on his lips.

"We were playing tag and I tripped. I'm such a klutz." I laughed dryly, fat tears rolling down my cheeks.

"Look."He said excited. He lifted his hand a bit in the air, but it fell right away. So he just raised his finger and pointed to the mass of wheat that was covering us.

"Mom is here." He told me.

"Hello, Mrs. Nichols." I said to the wheat and waved there. I looked back at him and noticed that he had his eyes closed, his chest slowly raising and falling, each breath taking longer and longer.

I was sure that he had an internal bleeding in his head. I was no doctor, but I knew what was happening. And I was firmly refusing to believe it.

"Romar's here too." He said happily and took in a ragged breath.

"It's nice of him that he came." I whispered.

He raised his hand, but it fell again.

"I… I can't reach him." He said in a small voice, frown on his face. He started taking down the string bracelet and put it in my hand.

"Could you give it to him?"He asked and looked me in the eyes. I saw a small boy. Who knew that was going to die, but was accepting it. I knew that he had hallucinations but I knew that he knew what was really happening. He was just willing to make it easier for him to go.

"I promise."I said and squeezed his hand and slipped the bracelet on my wrist.

My eyes were blurry with tears as I was listening to his shallow breaths

Someone presence ringed in my mind and I turned my head.

It was that huge guy from 11. His name was Trihs or something like that. My eyes immediately fell on the rock he had in his hand. It was bloody.

"You." I snarled at him, my voice laced heavy with hate and disgust I felt for this person.

He stood there, unmoving mass of muscles, watching me. "Go away." He said in a monotone voice.

"No." I said without a second of hesitation.

"Go away or you won't be the only one that I'll kill tonight." He warned and weighted the rock in his hand as a sign that he was not joking.

I looked him dead in the eye and said : "Fuck you."I spit out, hatred burning in my eyes and turned my back on him.

I crouched at Morris who was breathing even slower than before.

I knew he had just last minutes left.

"I think I'm going home now, Cory." He murmured under his breath, his voice tired.

"Don't go."I pleaded. "Not yet. We have still so much to do." I sobbed.

"I have to." He said.

"Who will make those fishes you caught?" I said, wiping my nose with the sleeve of my jacket.

"I caught some?" He asked in a happy voice.

"Yes you did." I sniffled and stroked his hair.

"You wouldn't eat them anyway."He said and another smile graced his lips.

"I would if you would be there with me."I said, trying to make him stay.

"I can't. I have to go home." He said and I knew that it was the end.

"Tell my parents I say hello."I asked him. He nodded his head in a sign of promise.

"Take care Coreen." He said and his heart stopped.

And a cannon boomed thought the arena.

Before, I never really paid attention to cannons, but I heard this one more than loud enough. It tore my heart in two pieces. I hunched over his body, my body shaking in sobs. I didn't mind time. I didn't mind anything. I just lay there on his unmoving chest.

Tears were still running from my eyes, when I drew away from him. His eyes were looking up, on the sky. They reflected stars.

I closed them with shaky fingers and stood up. I took the knife in hand and looked at him one last time.

"I will, Morris. I will." I promised in broken voice.

.

.

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* * *

_Disclaimer: I own nothing from Hunger Games._

_OH MY FINNICK! I killed him. His death wasn't a spur of the moment. I did it because I had my I know why authors find it hard to kill their characters. This chapter was supposed to be even longer but I shortened it. I will rather upload another one earlier. I promise that in the next chapter will be Cato.  
_

_Thanks to _**mormongirl13**_ for favoriting._

_And thanks to _**BaileyMichelle, Zunzun1dTV, ImaBiteChu, KpopForever9, NatashaJayjay**_ and_** Niklaus Elijah Damon Kol**_ (I had to write these two without dots, otherwise they would just disappear randomly sorry)for following._

**NatashaJayjay**_: Thanks. I wonder what will happen too. Just kidding._

**germany:**_Na ja, es geht! I don't know if it is right even though I'm learning German. But thank you._

**mormongirl13**_: I'm very happy that you like it._

**EGilly**_:I know he is. Hopefully I'll be able to update this weekend another chapter._

_Thanks for reading. Reviews are appreciated. Lia_


	13. Chapter 13

I was walking aimlessly, not caring about where I was heading. Knife slipped from my grasp on few occasions.

I found myself at the stream. The net was still in place. I put the backpack on the ground and walked in the water and released the fishes in it. They swam away quickly and I stood there.

I felt the coldness of the water seeping in my bones.

I felt it clearly. I wasn't numb. But I hoped I would be. It would make it easier for me.

I went out of the water.

Right then a screen lit up on the sky and today's dead tributes appeared. A girl from 3, boy from 7 and lastly Morriss's face.

I stood there staring at the sky even though the screen disappeared. I don't know how long I was there.

It was dark around me. Moon was hidden behind clouds and the temperature was low.

"It's great to see you again."

Vale. Just what I needed.

I kept looking ahead of me, paying no attention to him.

He walked in front of me and frowned upon seeing my face. "What happened to you?" He asked with fake concern.

"Nothing." I said.

He sighed and lowered his head. "You know, I have this dilemma. I don't know when I should kill you. You deserve to be killed in the worst way possible after what you did to me." He contemplated.

"What have I done?" I asked, acting innocent.

His face turned into a sneer. "You betrayed me."

I looked him in the eyes and said: "I didn't."

He stood there like I smacked him in face. Unsure of how he will react, I took a small step backwards, putting more distance between us. Knife that was before loose in my hand was now gripped tightly.

My step awakened him from his daze and his eyes flashed with hatred.

Adrenaline was released in my body and bolted away from him, neglecting the pain in my knee and ribs.

"Don't run away from me!" He shouted angrily after me. I heard another set of feet running behind me, so I pushed my legs faster. I ran between trees, trying not to trip over fallen logs. A mistake like that would cost me a lot.

I was exhausted and my speed was gradually decreasing. My ribs were burning as I was gasping for breath.

I didn't dare to look back whether he was close on my tail, but I heard him running after me.

It was still dark, so I was running intuitively, hoping not to crash into a tree or maybe some tribute.

Small glow was coming from ahead of me between the trees, illuminating the forest.

I knew that I was probably heading towards the Cornucopia so I started running more left to avoid running into the clearing.

Sharp pain made me halter and screamed from shock. I looked on my arm. Vale threw a knife at me and cut me. It was nothing life-threatening but it was stinging uncomfortably.

I set off again, without a second thought of direction.

I realized that I ran into the clearing and seconds after that, someone caught me and held me against their body.

I kicked and screamed, trying to hit the person. I jabbed my elbow into their stomach. They let me go and I tried to escape.

Another set of arms enveloped me, this time stronger, so my kicking and trashing around didn't help me.

"Shhh. Cory. It's fine." A smooth warm voice entered my ears and I went limp.

It was Peeta.

I turned around slowly and leaned on him, hugging him with as much strength as I had left.

"I'm sorry, Cory. I'm so sorry." He whispered into my hair. I understood without more words that he was referring to Morris. I took in his words and cried on his chest. The feeling of being in someone's arms made me feel instantly better.

I looked up in his face. "Hi cupcake."

"What happened to you?" He asked worried, running his fingers gently down my face. When he traced the cut on my forehead I slightly hissed in pain. In that moment, the state of my body came to me in full force and I slumped against him, my right knee bent.

He picked me up and carried me to their camp. I closed my eyes in comfort and let him carry me.

He gently put me on the ground near a crackling fire.

"OH my." Said a female voice.

"I personally think I never looked better." I joked and opened my eyes. Clove was crouching next to me worried, with a bottle of water in her hands. I took it out of her hands."Thanks for the water." I said and without asking drank the whole bottle.

"You took me of guard there." Commented Marvel, sitting in front of me. It was him, whom I jabbed in the stomach.

"Well of course." I said and threw the bottle at him. He caught it with easy and grinned.

Something wet was pressed against my knee and I recoiled from it. It was stinging like hell.

"What are you doing Peeta!" I said, looking at him. He was holding a white cloth that was now strained with blood and dirt and a small dark bottle in the other one

"Do you want to get there an infection?" He asked with a stern look on his face, before pressing the cloth against my knee again.

I clenched my teeth and let him do his work. His constant prodding was making me feel nervous. At least Marvel and Clove were trying to distract me with their talking.

Marvel then went to take something from the supplies at the Cornucopia. He came to me and put a tin can in my bandaged hands.

"What's that?" I asked curiously.

"Try it out for yourself."He said and opened one himself. I looked inside and saw small triangle pieces of something orange floating in water. Marvel was eating happily, so I picked one piece as well.

I studied it for awhile and then put it in my mouth.

"That's so good!" I exclaimed and stuffed more in mouth.

"They're called mandarins." He told me and shared the can with Clove.

When Peeta came back from the lake, I offered him some too. It almost looked like we were camping.

* * *

High-pitched laugh came from behind me and Marvel's, Clove's and Peeta's face froze in mid smile. They looked at each other with question in their eyes and stood up almost simultaneously. Peeta grabbed my elbow and made me stand with them.

I stood between him and Marvel, with Clove in front of me.

When two blonde heads ventured out of the forest I knew what was this all about.

Cato was coming. And he was not going to be happy.

Glimmer was laughing was too loud at something Cato said. He was too laughing. But then he turned to look at the camp and his face changed in a second.

From laughing face to murderous glare.

He unsheathed his sword and took long deliberate steps to our group. I saw Clove fingering knife on her belt, cold expression on her face.

When Cato was near Clove, she opened her mouth to say something, but he didn't even spare her a glance. As he neared me, he slowed down until he came to stop in front of me.

I had to look up to see him in face. I was surprised at myself how I easily forgot how big he was.

He raised his sword and rested the blade against my throat.

"Well, well." He said tauntingly. "Look who the wind carried here." I gulped dryly, skin on my throat scraping slightly on the sharp blade. He slowly looked me up and down, taking in my appearance. His eyes darkened and knuckles on the sword turned white

I kept my mouth shut, looking into his blue eyes.

"What? Are you not going to tell us some more lies?" He whispered harshly, bending a bit to look me straight in the eyes while keeping the sword at my throat. The others around us were standing still, watching our exchange.

I really don't know what came over me to say those things. Looking back, I think it was all that happened to me that night, what made me reckless.

"You're a big ass idiot Cato!" I burst out. " Why the hell do you think I should have something with my best friend!"

After saying that, I clamped hand on my mouth, my blue eyes wide. I could hear gasps coming from the group at what I said.

"Just kill her already!" Glimmer called at him. Cato stayed still, his blue eyes darker than ever before. He came even closer to me, his body pressing into mine. I looked up in his face once more and was taken back by the intensity in his eyes.

"Say that again." He whispered, his blonde hair tickling my forehead.

"You are an idiot for thinking I have something with my best friend." I replied. From the corner of my eyes I saw Clove making her way to us to pull us apart.

"Say that again and you'll be dead."He snarled, digging the blade deeper into my neck drawing a bit of blood. I winced from the stinging and took a step back, but he followed me, his body still pressed against mine.

"I won't say it. I'm not stupid. I don't want to be dead." I said, putting the bandaged hand on my cut to stop the bleeding. With my other hand I gestured to Clove to stay away. I don't know what he would do I someone would interfere.

"So you think that you can just come back, like nothing happened. You're a stupid little girl if you think you could have fooled me. I know that you have been just playing around before the arena." He said completely pissed.

Now, I know I have the knack to say stupid things sometimes. I got used to it.

But I never thought even my actions would be so bad. They are actually even worse than that.

And I really don't know why I did it. Well, maybe it had to do something with the fact that I wanted to it quite some time and that it seemed like the best way to shut him up.

And boy, it did.

So I kissed him.

It wasn't the ideal first kiss, that I can tell you. It was more of a peck no lips, but even that was enough for him to shut up and me to feel dazed.

When I pulled back, my hand still on his neck, I took a few deep breaths and looked into his eyes. He had an unreadable expression on his face, his lips parted.

"I like you, you big idiot." I whispered to him.

His eyes were looking into mine without him saying anything. He suddenly frowned, turned away and left into the forest.

His huge frame disappeared between the trees, his shoulders tense, sword tightly grasped in his right hand.

I stood there with a shocked look on my face when Peeta hugged me with all his strength.

"I thought he was going to kill you." He said in a worried voice.

"I'm fine. Don't worry." I said. He sneaked his arm around my waist and walked back with me to the camp. I hissed little when he did it, because he touched my bruised ribs.

* * *

"You really are not normal." Said Marvel after we sat around the fire. Peeta was bandaging my ribs, Clove was checking her knifes and Glimmer was looking on her nails. She didn't say anything after she told Cato to kill me.

"I'm sorry but he was acting stupid." I said on my defense, tucking the shirt into my pants after Peeta finished his job.

"I thought he was going to kill you right there on the spot." Said Clove.

"He should have." Glimmer spoke up, looking in my face. "Or maybe you should have died with that District rat you came here with."

"What did you say?" I asked her in furious tone. I couldn't believe what she said.

"Glimmer please shut your mouth, we had just enough of your stupid talk for today. And you Cory, don't listen to her." Clove said, with a death glare in her dark eyes. Glimmer visibly paled at her glare and stayed silent.

"Those nail polish fumes messed up her mind." Marvel said and I chuckled. "Hey Cory, what actually happened to you and Morris?" He asked curiously.

I stayed silent, averting my eyes from his. I didn't want to talk about it now.

"How about we leave that topic for tomorrow?" Suggested Peeta. I looked into his warm eyes.

I gratefully leaned against Peeta and yawned.

"You should go to sleep." He said and went to get me some blankets and a sleeping bag.

When he was handing me the things, a cannon boomed through the arena. My head snapped up at the sound and I immediately thought that something happened to Cato.

When Clove saw the look on my face, she said: "I wouldn't worry about that. He can handle himself."

She took the first shift and leaned on the tree trunk. I buried myself in the blankets Peeta gave me and tried to fall asleep.

But I couldn't. Every time I would close my eyes, I would see Morris's face staring at me.

It was easy to put aside today's events when you are in a group of people that you like. Apart from Glimmer. But when person is alone, it is a lot harder to bear. Tears gathered in my eyes and slowly dripped downy my cheeks, falling on the blanket.

I played with the bracelet Morris gave me and somehow fell asleep.

I am a light sleeper, so any kind of sound or touch wakes me up.

* * *

I opened my eyes in the dark, searching for the cause of the noise that woke me up. Suddenly a large body slid into the blankets behind me.

I turned around and when I saw who it was I said silently: "Mister grumpy pants came back." I teased Cato and smiled devilishly.

"Shut up." He muttered and kissed my forehead.

I smiled in content and snuggled even closer to him, laying across his chest. He wrapped his strong arms around me, holding me close to him in possessive manner.

"You're still an idiot you know that?" I asked him, my voice muffled by his shirt.

"Whatever helps you sleep at night." I heard smile in his voice as he said that.

And with that said, I finally asleep.

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* * *

_Disclaimer: I think it is obvious that I still don't own anything from the Hunger Games. And that I never will. Thanks for the reminder._

_I just had to update! I'm still not sure how this story will end but I guess we will just have to wait and see. Btw, whenever I see the photo of Sam Claffin and Jennifer Lawrence in the Training Center, part of me swoons over Finnick. I hope Sam won't screw him up, but I believe him that he did a good job._

_The weather outside is terrible. Snowing and freezing. So I went out on a bicycle. Why not to take the opportunity to freeze my legs and butt? I hope that at least some of those fat cells froze to death._

_I don't know about these author notes. I thought for a moment I will stop writing them, but them I was like 'nahh, who wants to read them, will and those who won't, well, those won't', right?_

_Thanks to _**GingerNut2012**_ and _**ClarVoYant2015**_ for favoriting._

_And thanks to _**I-Have-A-Dark-Side**_ and _**ClarVoYant2015**_ for following._

**SFEllie**_: Thanks so much. I found out I hate writing death scenes but I'm afraid this wasn't the last one in this story. And I too didn't want Vale to be seen as the only threat in the arena, that's why it wasn't him who killed Morris._

**NatashaJayJay**_: Cato is here! :) Hope you like it. And I love your nickname.  
_

**jolenelovedancex3**_: The squirrel thing was just a spur of the moment on my part but I kinda like it too._

**mormongirl33**_: I didn't want his death to be soulless. He deserved it._

_Thanks for reading. Reviews are very much appreciated. Lia_


	14. Chapter 14

When I woke up, the sun was already up. My blankets were kicked around me, only my jacket covering me. I stood up, squinting at the light.

"I thought you were going to sleep all day." I looked to my left. Peeta stood there, peeling some fruit.

"Where are the others?" I asked him upon seeing almost empty camp. There was just me, Peeta and some boy in yellow jacket.

"They went hunting." He said shrugging and putting a piece of fruit into his mouth. He offered me some too and I accepted.

"Thanks." I said and bit into it. It had a nice sweet flavor. "When will they come back?"

Peeta shrugged his shoulders again. "I can't tell. It is different every time. But they have been away for some time now and I haven't heard cannon, so they should come sometimes now." No kill, no fun. That makes sense.

"Do you feel okay? Doesn't anything hurt?" He asked, concern shining in his warm eyes. Now that he mentioned it, I checked my arm, hands and knees but found nothing. Even my side almost didn't hurt at all.

"How's that possible?" I asked amazed. "It's all Capitol made stuff." He explained and ate the last piece of fruit.

He came to sit next to me and looked closely at my face.

"Cory." He said in a serious voice.

"What." I said a bit alarmed.

"You have a grey hair." I looked at him with wide eyes. My hands immediately touched my hair. It was a silly but yet a natural reaction. I couldn't see the color of my hair with my hands. I smoothed it down, and put few strands of my hair in hand in front of my face.

"You're getting older." Peeta said and laughed.

I looked at him incredulously. What was he talking about. Was he going nuts?

"Are you alright Peeta?" I asked a bit concerned and felt his forehead for temperature.

He laughed it off and shook his head. He looked me in the eyes and said: "Happy birthday Cory."

Oh.

That's what it was about.

A smile slid on my lips and I tackled Peeta in a hug. "Thank you. I almost forgot. I never forget my birthday. I mean, how could I. It is the only day in the whole year when I can do anything I want." I said, explaining the situation to me.

"And what are your wishes for this year?" He asked playfully, arm around my shoulders.

I didn't really know. Being here had some limitations. Okay. Not some. But a bid ass ones. It was pretty much impossible to do anything crazy or spontaneous here. No ice cream, no cake, no spaghetti, no gifts. Nothing. I guess I will just have to make something up in my mind and pretend that it is true.

But it truly is a crime to not be able to celebrate birthday without anything sweet. And fruits don't count.

"So am I right when I say you want something sweet?"

I faced him surprised. "How did you know?" He was my best friend but I don't think he ever saw me eating some sweets.

"You get this look on your face when you want something and so I just guessed. "

"Nice thinking, cupcake. And is it possible to have something sweet?" I asked, widening my eyes for the effect.

"Wait here." He said and left. I smiled, happy that I will get something. I looked around the camp happily. I noticed the dark haired boy looking in my direction. He stood next to the tree with a spear in his hand. He was probably on a watch, since Peeta and I weren't paying attention. I waved at him. Shouting at him to say hello seemed a bit stupid. He smiled at me and turned his head towards the lake.

A medium-sized rectangular object wrapped in silver foil appeared in front of my face.

"What's that?" I asked suspiciously, eyeing it with a careful eye.

"Try it out for yourself." He said and sat next to me. The foil made a rustling noise when I grabbed the corner and tore it open.

"It is not going to poison me, is it?" I asked him. He just shook his head, laughing at me. "You know, it is quite hurtful that you think I would do that."

I rolled my eyes at him and bit into it without looking at it.

A rich sweet flavor hit my taste buds and I couldn't help myself but to close my eyes in pleasure. It was the best thing ever. I knew now that it was chocolate. My dad once brought it home when I was eleven at the day of my first Reaping. I never had chocolate since then until now.

Big hand grabbed my own, making my open my eyes in surprise. A large body sat next to me, unconsciously letting me know who it was.

Cato took a large bite of chocolate, looking at me with daring eyes. His hand sneaked across my waist, tucking me closer to him.

I looked at him with my mouth open in shock. I smacked his hand away from mine, safely hiding the chocolate from him.

"You can't do that!" I called out. Marvel and Clove sat in front of us, watching our exchange. Peeta was a bit further away from us. It seems that the Careers don't mind him, but they prefer him to be further away from them.

"Why." He said and smirked at me.

"Why? Because it is mine chocolate!" I reasoned.

"Yours?" He asked with humor laced voice.

"Yes." I said seriously. "I can do today whatever I want and I am keeping up to it. So I am telling you that this chocolate is mine." I said to him, my eyes never leaving his. He cocked his head to the side, studying my face closely, a small smile playing on his lips.

"And why is that?" He whispered.

"It's my birthday and that means that I can do anything." I said and bit into the chocolate.

"You have birthday?" Asked Marvel surprised.

"That is awesome. Happy birthday day then!" Congratulated me Clove and tucked the knives she had been cleaning back in their respective places.

"Happy birthday." Said Marvel.

"Thank you." I answered and got rid of the foil. I threw it on the ground and broke off two rows of small rectangular bars. I handed each one of them to them, painfully aware of Cato closeness and his hot breath on my exposed neck.

I mockingly turned to face Cato and tauntingly bit into the bar, letting the chocolate melt on my tongue.

His eyes were trained on my lips when I unconsciously licked them,tasting the left over piece of chocolate on them.

"Are you gonna be a good boy?" I asked in innocent tone, breaking off a row from the bar. I waved it in front of his face. He suddenly caught in his teeth, without giving me an answer.

I just shook my head at him and let it slide. When he saw that I won't protest, he smirked and put the rest of the bar in his mouth. "Happy birthday." He with mouth full.

I rolled my eyes at his antics. He grabbed me even closer to him, unaware that he grabbed the side that was still a bit painful. I hissed a bit and he loosened his grip on my waist, looking at me with a frown and a questionable face.

"It is still a bit sore from yesterday." I mumbled not wanting to talk about it anymore. I was not going to ruin my happy mood with this subject.

Apparently, Cato didn't let it slide that easily. "What actually happened to you?" He asked curiously.

At his question, silence fell over our small group, everyone straining their ears for my answer.

I blushed under their unwanted attention.

"…..itpr…." I muttered to myself.

Marvel made a grimace trying to decipher my jumbled words. "You did what?"

My blush deepened. It was an awkward situation to find in. I decided to play it cool so I willed my cheeks to stop burning and said disinterested. "I tripped."

I looked at my nails trying to brush what I said off.

After a small moment of silence, a boisterous laugh echoed through the clearing. I put an offended look on my face. Even that boy in yellow jacket was smiling.

"I can't believe it." Said Clove chuckling. "You looked like a bear mauled you yesterday and you just tripped."

"You just tripped?" Asked Marvel, catching breath. "Over what? A cow?" He laughed again, but this time it was him alone. When he realized that no one joined him, he looked around on our faces, embarrassed to be caught.

"Seriously, Marvel." Said Clove with a sigh. "Sometimes after that crap that leaves your mouth I wonder how you can even form a normal sentence." Marvel looked offended and opened his mouth to say something but shut it right away. Clove gave him a pointed I-win-look and grinned.

"Wait up." She said, remembering something. "You couldn't get cut like that by tripping. It is a clean and straight. That must have been knife." She pointed out.

My hand involuntarily settled itself on my now healed arm and looked on the ground suddenly very interested in the grass roots.

"That interests me too actually." Said Cato in a gruff voice. I looked at him for a second and then looked back on the ground.

I was tearing the grass blades stretching the wait for my answer as long as possible.

"Well?" Inquired Cato.

I sighed. "It was that guy from six." I confessed not meeting their gazes

"WHAT?!"

"The one that bothered you at the lake?"

"LAKE?!" Cato bellowed again.

I closed my eyes and groaned. Why did I told them who it was, was unknown to me. It didn't help the situation.

Fingers under my chin made me look in Cato's direction. His eyes were ablaze with anger.

"He bothered you in the arena?" He said, watching my face.

"Kind of." I admitted reluctantly.

He let out a puff of air and asked: "Yes or no?"

"Yes."

That was all it took him to explode. Just one word. He jumped on his feet, grabbed his sword and made a beeline to the forest. It apparently didn't matter to him that he didn't know where the culprit from 6 was at that moment.

Marvel quickly got on his feet and went after him. He tried to restrain him by putting his arms around him. I knew that Cato was a lot stronger than him and that it was only a matter of seconds that he broke free and ran to the forest.

So I ran to them exactly in the moment when Marvel was no more able to hold him back.

* * *

And that's where I step in.

Because I am a lot 'stronger' than Cato, I put my arms around him and pressed my heart to his chest. His heart was hammering in his ribcage, wild and untamed.

The second my arms were around him, he stopped and froze completely but didn't let go of his sword. His body was rigid under my fingers.

"Where are you going? Hmm?" I asked him, rubbing small circles on his back.

"Don't even think about leaving me on my birthday." I said in a playful threatening voice and looked up, resting my chin on his chest. His eyes were trained on the forest, flickering from one tree to another.

"Come one." I said and tugged his hand towards the camp. He looked down at me, his face passive and set in stone.

"Come." I said and tugged his hand again. He didn't even budge, silly giant Career.

"You are not making this easier." I huffed, dug my feet into the ground and pulled on his hand as hard as I could.

I grunted a bit from the strain and let his hand go limp in my hold. I glared at him, determined not to move until he returns to the camp with me.

The corner of his lips turned up a bit. He shook his head at me and I knew that the worst was over.

When we were walking to the camp, he kept turning his head back to the forest, but every time he did it, I jabbed him into the ribs.

After we sat on the blankets, they made me tell what happened. I told them just the rough version of what happened. Even Peeta was sitting with us. From his glances he knew that I wasn't telling the whole truth, but let it be. He knew that if were to tell them the whole truth, especially to Cato, no one would be able to stop him this time.

After we have eaten some meat and bread for lunch/dinner, Cato ordered the boy whose name I still didn't know, to secure the supplies and put mines around them.

He didn't start right away, because he had to at first figure out how to detach them safely and not to blow the camp into the air. Cato wasn't happy that it would take him that long, but he knew that he had no other choice but to wait.

I was protesting when they put all the supplies in one pyramid, but they weren't listening. And Cato put a hand on my mouth preventing me from talking.

* * *

I was sulking leaning on the tree. It was my birthday and I should have the right to do as I want.

I looked around myself, refusing to even glance at the growing pyramid of supplies. I look at the forest and stared at the trees, thinking of other tributes.

My attention was quickly grabbed by thick black smoke that was emerging from the far left side, swirling in dark puffs to the sky.

"Cato!"I shouted at him. His heads napped into my direction immediately looking for a danger lurking around. I inwardly rolled my eyes at him and pointed to the direction of the smoke.

He alerted the others right away. They started strapping weapons to them and got ready to fight.

I walked to them, since Peeta was getting ready too.

"What do you think you are doing Lover Boy?" Asked Cato, his eyes watching him as he put knife behind his belt. "You're going to watch over the supplies." He said in a firm voice.

If I were Peeta, I would do as he told. He gulped dryly and looked at me.

_Katniss_. He mouthed and I knew what was going on.

He didn't want them to find her alone without him being able to help her.

"Maybe he could help you find Katniss." I suggested.

"The Bitch on Fire?" Cato asked with an excited glint in his eyes.

"Peeta is the only one that knows how and where she could be hiding. The fire definitely forced her to run, so your chances of finding her are higher." What I just said didn't make a lot of sense. There was nothing implying that she was in that part of the arena.

I saw that Cato was mulling over this fact too, but the possibility of killing her was too great for him to dismiss this chance.

He walked up to me and pushed a large knife in my hands. His right hand cradled my cheek gently.

"At any sight of danger, hide right away, don't play hero. I'll find you." He whispered, his clear blue eyes sinking into mine with a raw intensity.

Our foreheads were touching, his blonde hair tickling me. His hot breath was mingling with my own.

"Stay safe." He whispered and kissed my forehead.

And I was alone with a boy whose name I didn't know.

.

.

.

* * *

_Disclamier: I own nothing from Hunger Games._

_I know it took me long to update, and I don't really have any valid excuse. Oh, I do have one. My lazy ass. But the huge and unbelievably hard graduation exams are coming up and I'll have to learn a lot, so my updates won't be as regular as they were from the start. But this rigorous period will end eventually and then I am all yours._

_Thanks to _**klebel21**_ and _**MissKatryn**_ for favoritng._

_Thanks to _**Amelia1108**_ and _**GingerNut2012**_ for follow._

**I-Have-A-Dark-Side**_:Thanks so much. I'm glad you like you like this one as well :)._

**EGilly**_: I hope she will. And with Vale, well...you'll have to find out in the future chapters. But I have something in store for him._

**MissKatryn**_: I'd say that it was an effective way to get him to shut up. Thanks._

**Randomness1**_: I actually would like to update :). Thanks so much. This chapter's for you._

_Thanks for reading. Reviews are greatly appreciated as always. Lia_


	15. Chapter 15

The morning was rather uneventful. It was just me and the other boy, whose name I found out is Jeremy. Cato and the others still haven't returned. I have been sick with worry and the camp was mine and Jeremy's responsibilty, so sleep was out of option during the night.

At least I was able to help Jeremy with the mines and arranging supplies. When he wasn't looking, I sneaked around and took few boxes and some other things and hid them behind the forest line. I didn't take a lot, but it made me happier than stacking them high on one place. This whole thing couldn't have been done with Cato around.

I was shuffling around the camp, munching on dried apples, when a canon boomed through the forest.

The apple caught in my throat and I started choking.

My feet wanted to run to the forest and search for them to see if they are alive. But my brain told me to stay put where I was and not to panic.

My hand unconsciously grabbed the hilt of the knife. I looked around the camp for Jeremy. He stood not far away from me. He was checking the mines. He stood alert as me.

After half an hour of waiting tensely we calmed down a bit.

And just when I though I will be getting bored again a high pitched giggled reached my ears. I turned around and scanned the forest. I frowned slightly when I saw no one.

But then I heard the giggle again. I looked at Jeremy for confirmation that he heard the same as me. He too looked puzzled.

As if on cue, Clove came tumbling out of the forest, her cheeks pink and a happy smile on her face.

"I win, you losers!" She shouted, threw her hands in the air and squealed. I was on my way to her when a tired looking Marvel staggered out on the grass.

"I am going to die!" He cried out, clutched his chest with his hands and fell on the floor. I cautiously approached Clove who was in the middle of her victory dance.

"Clove?" I asked. I had my palms open and neutral expression on my face. I was a bit scared what made them behave the way they were.

She pivoted on the spot, her hands high in the air. "Yes squirrel?" She asked and then burst in giggles.

I grimaced at her strange facial expression. "What happened?" I asked slowly.

She furrowed her brows and opened her mouth to say something when she looked over me and squealed. "Rainbow!" And with than she ran away from me, her hands outstretched, dark ponytail bouncing wildly. I looked at her in shock and gestured to Jeremy to take care of her. She made a few jumpy steps when he locked his arms around her, securing her in place.

Marvel coughed from the ground, his long legs bended. I approached him and crouched next to him.

"What happened?" I asked again.

He looked at me and asked: "Ceaser?"

"God. It's me Marvel, Cory." I muttered to myself angrily and pushed a strand of hair behind my ear. Marvel looked at the sky with a blank expression on his face.

"Where is Cato?" I asked a different question. I don't think they will be capable any soon of answering what happened.

"God?" He asked with an incredulous voice and widened his eyes.

"Of course Marvel. God is right here." I answered sarcastically. I stood up and looked around myself. No sign of Cato. I exhaled and started walking in the direction they came from the forest.

When I crossed the forest line, my hand involuntarily settled itself on the hilt of the knife. It seems like such a natural reaction for me.

"Cato!"I called out, trying to step on the soft parts of the forest floor and not to make much noise. Being extremely ungifted in being silent, I immediately stepped on dry branches. It seems strange that I am able to find dry braches nearly anywhere I step and crush them.

I checked behind a bush looking for a blonde hair. Surely it won't be that hard to spot a giant boy in a forest when he is not aware where he is or what he is doing, judging by the state of Clove and Marvel. I doubt he is better on it than them.

"Cato!" I whispered. I looked around myself nervously. I wasn't very deep in the forest but I didn't feel comfortable in here. I wanted to find him as soon as possible.

I made a few steps till trying to be careful when a low groan came from right.

I whipped around looking for Cato. It must have been him.

"Cato!" I said. "Where are you?" I went in the direction where I heard the groan. The grass was flattened. He must have been here. "Stop playing games. I'm really not in the mood." I said grumpily and rolled my shoulders back. The back of my shirt was sticking to my spine, making me squirm.

I sighed. I turned back to check if no one was lurking behind me. My eyes scanned the greenery , spotting nothing suspicious.

"Boo." I let out a startled scream.

Cato was standing,…. well trying to stand in front of me, the bigger part of his body leaning heavily on his sword, that was stuck in the muddy ground, blood was smudged on the edge. His hair was disheveled, few pieces of dried pieces of thistle stuck in his blonde hair plastered across his forehead. He had a white pale face with rosy cheeks and red nose. He didn't look very good.

"You are an idiot, Cato Hadley, scaring me like that. Didn't your parents teach you better?"

When I stepped closer to him, I noticed big angry lumps forming on his arms. I furrowed my brows. I had no idea where they came from. But I didn't care right now. My task with the highest priority was to get him back to the camp.

"Heyyaa, Cor."He said, his speech slurry and slightly jumbled up. I put my arm around him and pushed to a straighter position. I put his muscular arm around my shoulders and propped him up.

"Hello there. Now come on." I said. I didn't want to waste any more time in here. I put my foot a bit forward, nudging Cato to do the same. He was heavy and there's no way I am able to take him back without his help.

He grumbled a bit, but obeyed. I let out a sigh of relief when I realized we were moving. I spared a glance at him while taking care where I was stepping. His skin was coated in a thin layer of sweat, his arm hot and heavy on my back. He was probably running a fever.

We were about a halfway to the clearing when Cato started making grabby hands at me.

"What do you think you are doing?" I asked him, when one of his big hands nearly swatted me in the face.

"You are bloated like a balloon." He said slowly, taking his time with the words.

What the heck? I come to rescue him and he starts talking about me being bloated. Really smooth.

"Stop saying nonsense and help me. You weight more than all the tributes together. Be glad that we haven't crumbled by now." I said angrily. I was sweaty, hot and I wanted to get the out of the forest. I tugged on Cato's arm around my shoulder to make him go forward.

He took me by surprise when he stood still and didn't move an inch. I sighed and looked him in the face.

"What is it now?"I asked and smoothed my wild curly hair that was slowly getting out of the braided ponytail.

"Did you just call me fat?" He asked with a glare on his face, his sword was hanging from his limp hand.

I rolled my eyes at him. "No I didn't."

He narrowed his blue eyes at him and pursed his lips. "I don't believe you." He said after a minute of thinking.

Are we seriously having this conversation right now?

"Can we please just move forward." I grunted. I was slowly getting annoyed by him.

"No we can. You just called me fat. Look who's talking. All bloated and squidgy." He said and tried to pull himself to his full height. Of course, unsuccessfully. He slipped a bit and tried to regain his balance.

I bit back a string of insults aimed at him and took his arm again. He clearly has no idea what we are talking about.

Thank God, we made it to the camp in ten minutes after I couldn't help myself and threatened to take his sword away. But he wouldn't have any of that and started marching forward, his body taking me with him.

Apparently he still had enough strength.

* * *

When I returned with Cato, Jeremy had Clove already in her sleeping bag and was just trying to calm down Marvel who still thought he was dying and that he saw God. I would have laughed if I weren't so exhausted.

Jeremy helped me to take care of them. He knew what to do. He moved around them swiftly and put on some cream on the bug bites and put a plaster on them. I wanted to help him, but when I tried to, Cato grunted in pain and I didn't even touch him. I freaked out a bit and let him do all the work. I felt useless, so I at least prepared some soup while Jeremy explained to me that they were attacked by the Tracker Jackers.

Just when I went to take the canned soups I realized that Peeta and Glimmer haven't returned. I immediately opened my mouth to ask them, but when I saw them laying peacefully on their sleeping bags, I shut my mouth quickly.

In the afternoon the next day, Clove began stirring and by half an hour she was fully awake.

"Clove." I called out softly to her. I don't think I would have been able to talk any louder. I was nearly asleep on my legs.

"Hey Cory." She muttered and cradled her head in one hand, the other checking the knife belt. Satisfied that the knives were in place she looked me in the face.

"What happened?" I asked. I have dying to know the answer for the past day.

"We found twelve. She climbed a tree and we couldn't reach her. That's when Lover Boy suggested to wait for her because she will have to come down eventually, so we settled for the night. Next thing I know, I woke up to a stinging pain and screaming." She finished with a scowl on her features.

"What about Peeta and Glimmer?" I asked.

Clove sighed. "Glimmer's dead." That was the canon I heard in the morning.

"And that little traitor ran away as soon as he got the chance. But Cato went after him. He won't be breathing for long." She said with a small smile of satisfaction.

"He is hurt?" I asked concerned.

"Why do you care so much. He is a traitor. He deserves nothing better."

"He is mostly my best friend." I defended him. Without a doubt he went to look for Katniss. I can just pray that he'll be alright. That sword is huge and heavy, no wound made by it can be easy to treat.

After a while Marvel woke up. He was confused and talked to us about him dying. After we calmed him down, assuring him that is isn't going to die anytime soon, he went to gather some wood for fire. Now I had to wait only for Cato.

"Don't worry about him. He'll wake up soon. He is bigger so he needs more time to get rid of the poison from his system. Running back after Peeta didn't help him either." Clove said to me when she caught me bended concerned over his sleeping form. He was still running a slight fever.

I smoothed few strands of his hair form his forehead and sat next to him. He looked so peaceful in his sleep. No that borderline maniac look in his eyes he gets from time to time. Calm features, mouth opened a bit and letting out a soft snores. It must have been quite some time since he slept well. I picked his big hand in mine and played with his strong fingers. I pressed mine palm into his and marveled at how bigger his is. It made me feel safer somehow.

A soft squeeze snapped me from my thoughts. Cato's fingers were gripping mine softly, capturing them in a feather-light prison. I didn't look him in the face, I kept watching out hands joined together.

I rotated out hands, looking at them from various angles. From every side, my hand was safely tucked in his, protected all the time. That's how I felt around him.

I slowly pulled my hand from his and softly travelled my fingertips along his wrist to forearm, finally laying my hand on his giant biceps. I had a small smile on lips.

I looked at him, he was watching me with an amused smile on his lips, the fire, that Clove with Marvel started, giving his face a soft glow and his hooded blue eyes a fire of their own.

"Hyia." I said lamely.

"Enjoying the view?" He said and flexed his arm beneath my hand. I blushed right away and put my hands in my lap, where they were before. I smacked him gently on his arm as a revenge for his comment. To my amusement, his smirk changed to a frown when he realized that the bites were still painful and sore.

I stood up and got him a chicken noodle canned soup that was warming up near the raging fire. I cleared my throat and handed him the soup and a spoon.

He took it all in his one hand and propped himself up on the other.

"What are you looking at?" I asked when he didn't tear his gaze from me.

He stuck his bottom lip out. "I'm hurting. I can't eat."

I was ready to tell him some remark when he added: "By myself."

I rolled my eyes at him and grabbed the can form his hand. I opened it and ladled it in the spoon.

"Open up." He obeyed happily when he realized that I'll feed him and I put the spoon into his mouth.

"Is it any good?" I asked and scooped more soup.

"Taking into account the circumstances, it couldn't have been better."

"Did I detect irony?"

"Nah." He shook his head and swallowed another spoon.

We sat there in a silence, me filling spoon with soup and Cato being a good boy and eating it. When I returned from disposing the can, Cato had small chocolates in his hand.

I didn't even ask him where he got them and took one without asking.

"Sorry about that comment earlier." He said suddenly.

"What do you mean?" I asked confused.

He took another chocolate and said: "Comments about me and you being fat."

"Oh." I said surprised. I have completely forgot about it. "It's alright." I waved my hand in the air when I said it.

Cato fidgeted a bit and I took it as a sign that he wanted to tell something.

"It's just that.." He mumbled under his breath.

"What?"

He looked at me and said quickly: "I let stupid things like that get to me sometimes." I didn't seem to me like what he wanted to say at first, but I let it slide.

"I understand. But you are a very pretty boy Cato. Nothing to worry about. I'm sure fat is terrified of settling on you." I picked another piece and stuffed it into his mouth.

He stifled a laugh and chewed the chocolate. I know. He chews the chocolate, but hey, it's kinda cute.

Suddenly and idea popped into my head. I took yet another chocolate and straddled him. His blue eyes widened dramatically and he swallowed the chunky chocolate in his mouth. His eyes found mine and looked at me quizzically.

I held the chocolate between my fingers and when a good portion of it melted, I pressed my point finger to his lips and smeared it on his mouth. His lips parted allowing me to cover the surface. When I was finished, I leaned back a bit and appraised my work. When I licked off the remaining chocolate on my fingers I smoothed his dark red jacket, weaved a hand through his hair ruffling it up a bit. And for the final touch pinched his cheeks to add more color to his face.

"Never have been more prettier. You look like a girl." I gushed and pecked him on his lips. My lips were covered in melted chocolate, so I ran my tongue along them. His eyes darkened by a shade and grabbed me by my waist, bringing my face closer to his.

"What are you doing?" I asked quietly, our noses brushing against each other.

"What do you think?" He said and the corner of his lips lifted in a mischievous smirk.

"I'm not into girls like you, you know?" I said in a rush.

"Thank God I'm not a girl then." He whispered and his lips neared mine when..

When Marvel decided to honor us with his input: "Could you please stop doing what you were planning on doing and take into consideration mental health of those around you?" He said covering his eyes with his hand.

I rolled my eyes and glared at him. Cato next to me grunted and folded his arms across his chest. As I was no longer held in place, I tumbled out of his lap on the grass. I gave Cato an insulted glance, but he put his hands up in an apologetic manner: "Can't blame me, I'm the one who is hurt here."

I turned my back to him once I got up, nose high in the air and marched away from him. When I passed Jeremy I said to him: "I'm going to get more water." I grabbed few bottles and went to the lake. I knew we had enough water in the camp, but in an act of childishness I wanted to annoy him and get away from him.

When I was by lake, I rubbed my goose bumps covered arms. It was a lot colder here by water without a warm fire. Air bubbled to the surface as it made space to water and I looked around myself. The wheat field on my left was giving me chills. At least the moon shone a bit through few clouds scattered in the sky so it wasn't very dark.

I screwed the lid of the bottle on when it was full of water, took another two empty bottles that I didn't bother to fill and stood up to make my way back to the camp.

I stopped dead in my tracks when a person was blocking my way.

"It isn't safe for girls to be out after the sun sets." A voice reprimanded me. Moonlight peeked behind a cloud on the person's face.

Being so close, I could see bony nose, place thin lips and receding hairline of frizzy pale orange hair.

I gulped dryly.

Vale.

.

.

.

* * *

_Disclaimer: Throw your hands in the air if it is painfully obvious that you don't own anything._

_I would say I'm sorry, but I don't think that suffices. Just kill me now and get over it. I haven't posted in ages. I must admit that is my chewing away my consciousness. I feel guilty._

_So I am going to provide you some lame excuses: I graduated from the written part, what is like the bestest thing ever._

_And I have run out of excuses. But I'm back. At least for a while, cause I have the verbal part in May and I have a shitload to learn, so that sums it up pretty much._

_Anyway, HUGE THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO READ, FOLLOWED, FAVORITED AND REVIEWED THE STORY. It means so so much to me. If it weren't for you and your views adding up every day, I don't know when I would upload another chapter.__._

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	16. Chapter 16

I slowly kneaded the string bracelet between my fingers with frown on my forehead trying to not to snap at Cato. He was marching up and down, muttering obscenitites under his breath. His eyes flashed angrily to me so I poked tongue at him. He quickly turned around with a shake of his head and went further away, clearly unable to be in my presence. I sighed and turned my face to the warm sun, closing my eyes.

He was on a war rampage wanting to chase Peeta to finish him of. I get it that he was mad that he didn't take him down at the first swipe because he never misses. But this was getting ridiculous. I liked the goofy side of him better than this.

I yawned suddenly, tired. The night's encounter with Vale flashed across my mind and I unsconciously shuddered. After the intial sentence he just stood there looking at me with blank expression on his face. From such fright at seeing his face I dropped the plastic bottles on the pebbles under our feet. My hearth wanted to jump from my chest and cold sweat covered my whole body. I stood there shaking like a leaf from the fear and the coldness of the lake water. And he just stood there. When I came to my senses I bent to pick the bottles up, my back tense, mind ready for any kind of an attack. Maybe I would have been happier if something have happend, I don't know. I am probably just thinking stupid thoughts right now, but the fact that he never hurt me directly apart form the knife throwing, makes me more anxious and nervous. When I had the bottles safely in my hands, I started walking away from him.

When I got back to the camp, I didn't say anything. You may think I was being stupid but I didn't want them to make anything rash. Especially Cato. I could have called for their help at the lake, but at those circumstances I wasn't able to think properly. Even though I stayed at Cato's side for the rest of the night, I couldn't bring myself to sleep peacefully untill early morning hours when the sun started to peak out from behind the tree line.

Cato's rant about killing everybody off woke me up. Marvel was trying to reason with him, but unsuccessfully. Clove was standing right next to them, ready to put in her two cents if needed. When she saw that I was awake she rolled her eyes at me and almost unnoticable nudged her head in Cato's direction. I looked at him quickly. His eyes were ablaze, the veins in his storng arms thick with blood rushing in them, hand grasped tightly around the hilt of the sword. So I sneaked up behind him, trying to be as quiet as possible, pinched his butt and in the moment of surprise took the sword away from him.

That's why is he so angry right now because I'm sitting on it, refusing to move unless he calms down.

"Could you stop being so childisch and give me back my sword?" Cato asked from behind me.

"I will if you stop being so idiotic." I answered without even cracking one eye open. Cato grunted in annoyance at my answer and moved in front of me.

"You're blocking the sun buddy. Move please. I'm not interested in having one side of face tanned and the other not. Thank you." I said an advance, hoping he'll move. I wiggled my butt a bit trying to find myself a comfortable position, so that I won't get stabbed unintentionally.

"Piss off and then I'll move." Came a response from above.

"Uff. Getting vocal, aren't we? Who learned you that word. Didn't your mommy teach you better?" I asked mockingly in fake high voice.

After few seconds of silence I opened my eyes looking at Cato quizzically, wondering why he was so quiet. He suddenly bent to my level.

"You should have known not to bring my mother into this." The underlying tone in his voice made me instnly feel giulty about it. I opened my mouth to apologize, but instead of words, breath was knocked out of me. He scooped me on his one arm, the other presumably taking the hidden sword. His fingers were digging uncomfortably in my side, my head swishing in the air.

Few seconds after that he tossed me in the air and another pair of amrs caught me. That person put me down right away. I regained my balance and searched for that stupid blonde person. He was walking to the forest. I pushed the hair out of my eyes and took a deep breath.

"I swear to God I will do something nasty if you go there." I screamed after him. Yet he had the nerve to wave back and not even turn around.

I turned around to look at Marvel and Clove. Jeremy stood quite far away, watching the spot wher Cato dissapeared in the forest.

"Don't worry about him." Marvel said and put his arm around my shoulders, mistaking my emotions for worry instead of an anger.

"I'm not worried. I know he is more than capable of taking care of himself. I just can't understand why he has to go to look for them, especially when he knows that Peeta is my best friend. The fact alone that he left this group doesn't make him my enemy." I argued.

Clove next to me snorted and said with a smirk: "And what do you think. That they will let all of us live happily ever after?" She asked with a raised eybrow looking in my face for an answer.

Upon seeing my frown she snapped at me. "Wake up! This is not a dream. Look at me. At Marvel. Cato. We are trained to kill. We were born for it. Do not forget that you're in arena. We are not best friends and do not think for a second that when it would come to it, I wouldn't kill you with any remorse. You may be funny, though most of the time it's you beeing stupid and naive, but don't lie to yourself that you have a chance here." My mouth was open and my eyes wide at Clove's outburst. She turned on her heel, her ponytail whipping around her head and went to the pile of supplies. She took out her knives and started polishing them with her back turned to us.

"Don't let her words get to you." Marvel stopped my flow of thoughts. I looked up to see his face, that was contorted into a grimace.

"But maybe you should consider her words. I like you. You're funny and you make Cato more laid back and realaxed." I made a face full of disbelief. I make him realxed? I thought a realxed person looked a bit different. Perhaps more calm then the aggresive hot-headed style that Cato took for his shiny personality.

"I know him longer and that is laid back for him." He added after a while. We sat down near the wood that he brought yesterday for fire.

"I'm not going to say that you have to understand, but at least try to. The way we grew up and the way we lived before the arena isn't a place for joy and love. Otherwise we wouldn't survive. Look at your District 8. I don't remember any one that would have made it past the Cornucopia."

"Well I'm still here." I protested feebly trying to get rid of Morris's smiling face and mom's panic attacks in my mind.

"Yes you are. But only because Cato has your back. And beacause the last few days you are here with us."

"What I mean to say is, don't forget where you are. This is not a playground. I don't want to think about what would happen if it came to the final fight. If I'll have the chance to prove that I am good enough to win this thing and live with the guilt fot the rest of my life or to die. Try not to forget who you are, where are you from and do not let arene control your life and to think that killing people, kids, and polishing knives is the meaning of life. It is not."

His words brought tears into my eyes.

Arena made me nearly forget who I am. The fact that I have parents faded in comparison to trying to stay alive every day. I almost forgot that my mom has to survivewith her only daughter in arena, even though the single notice of Games leaves her gasping for breath. My dad that threatens every boy I come close to, yet here I am frolicking with Cato. My home, that made me want to smell every flower I saw, yet here I'm stepping on them just to avoid being heard. Made me forget that annoiyng rat that always scares the shit out of me in the storage room.

Arena makes you think that you can suddenly change and do what you didn't do before. I don't wanta to change because I want to return home the way I was. Whether it will be in glory and crown or in anonymity with white cloth covering my body.

Marvel ruffled my hair and said: " Don't cry." He said, obviously uncomfortable with a crying female.

I sniffed and wiped my wet cheeks. "I think I'll go for a small walk." I said and stood up from my place on the ground leaving Marvel behind me.

I headed to the lake, looking out for a spot to sit. When I found a clean boulder I sat on it and hugged my amrs around my torso.

My mind went to Cato.

Would I like him back home or was it all just the fact that I was pretty much sentenced to death? He was undeniably good looking, strong and funny. I like to be close to him, because I feel protected and that is something valuable here. But what if I was back home. Would it be different. Maybe I would have ended up with Romar and we could have been happy together.

And what about Marvel and Clove? It is painfully clear that they could kill me in one flick of their wrist. Joking with them and acting like nothing is going on doesn't hide the fact that they're here to win this, whoever actually in the end will. They are still careers. Nothing can change this fact.

But me?

I'm just enjoying the ride till the last moment. They would never sacrifice something they worked their asses off whole life for someone like me, just because I am more innocent than then and I don't have blood on my hands.

* * *

I don't know how long I was sitting here untill a blanket was thrown around my shoulders. Only then I realized that I was shivering. I my head snapped up, slightly startled, who gave it to me.

The pebbled mixed with sand gave in the heavy weight that pushed them deeper. I didn't bother turning my head, I knew who it was.

"When you take into consideration the fact that we're in arena, it's quite pretty in here." I broke the silence and wrapped the blanket tighter around myself to stop the cold sneaking under my clothes.

A grump let me know that my answer wasn't left unheard. After few minutes of silence between two of us, Cato broke it.

"What were you thinking about?" He asked and stretched his legs in front of him.

I shrugged my shoulders, not exactly overjoyed to preach into this subject once more.

"About me, you, Marvel, Clove, Morris,..." For every name I said I picked a stone from under my boots. "Mom, dad, people back home..." I trailed off, willing myself not to cry.

I weighted the stones in my hand, feeling the rough edges and their weight. The weight their place in my heart holds. Of holding onto them, but letting go at the same time.

"Aren't you cold?" I asked out of the blue.

"Not really."

"Hmm..." I said unconvinced.

I stood up and sat myself next to him, draping the blankets around his shoulders muttering myself something along the lines of "... could use more warmth.. body heat...". I didn't snuggle next to him. I just sat there, staring on the surface of water.

"What is the story behind your name? Apart from the tradition of the names starting with C." I asked curiously.

This time it was his turn to shrug. "Ask my parents. I wouldn't know."

"Well that's boring. I expected some grand story about heroic ancestors or Gods and stars."

"Sorry to disappoint you." He answered light-heartedly and put his arm around my shoulders, tucking me closer to him.

"My dad would be angry at us. This is the higher level of touchy." I commented but instead of leaning away, I snuggled a little bit closer, resting my temple on his chest.

He didn't say anything, just laughed quietly. It was quite perfect like this. Just two of us, alone, at water, talking about normal things.

"I didn't find them." Cato said suddenly, refering to the previous argument between us. I didn't say anything, merely acknowledged it with a nod of my head letting him say what he wanted.

"I found a trail of blood, but let it go." He added. I noticed the lack of verbal apology for his actions earlier, but this was even better and bigger then jaust saying sorry, but killing my best friend in the proccess.

"You mustn't forget who I am. A career." It seemed he talked with Marvel before coming here.

"We are not supposed to act like this. Friendly, joyous.." He trailled of with a sigh. He run his free left hand through his hair, messing it up.

"It's all new to me."

"You're new to me. It may have come off as if I was a playboy before, but the truth is that I never kissed a girl before. Hell." He laughed in raspy voice and tugged on the ends of his hair, his knuckles turning white.

"I didn't even hold hands with girl." He said and as on cue took my hand that didn't have the stones in it in his, cradling it gently in his hold.

"These hands weren't supposed to hold something so precious and fragile," he said and ran his fingers down my palm, tickling me. I giggled a bit and tried to withdrew my hand from his, but his grip didn't weaken. I was smiling softly, with blush warming my cheeks at his use of the words. 'Weren't supposed to..' Weren't. But something changed and they are now.

"They were made to kill in one move." he squeezed his hand, trapping my fingers together. My joints protested at this action, making me hiss under my breath.

Silence fell upon us, neither knew what words should be spoken.

I stood up, brushing dirt from my pants, walking to the water. Then one by one threw the stones into the water. When the ripples from the last one dissappeared, I turned to Cato and offered him my hand.

"Let's eat something sweet." I suggested. He smirked, his blue eyes found mine. "You know, when I was younger, kids used to pick on me for being so big. Am I not big enough for you already?" He asked, wiggling his eyebrows.

I scrunched up my eyebrows in confusion. Then it cleared out in my head.

"That was really kinky." I commented and turned to the camp. The fire was lit already and the other careers were gathered around the fire.

I made about ten steps untill Cato run after me, grabbing my hand and tugging me to the supplies.

"I'm hungry, woman. Don't make me wait any longer."

.

.

.

* * *

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_Good news, I graduated with A's, so now I have nearly 4 months of holidays. Even though I'm starting my new job on Monday, I am happy about the fact I'll have so much time to write. Maybe I'll start another ff or some story. I have a new obsession with Sherlock BBC, so maybe something to do with that._

_This chapter is a bit of an filler, trying to give you my view of how I view the charcters, if it makes sense. But I promise that in the next few chapters, nearly everything will change. Till now, I stcuk to the official plot. But I plan to do some crazy things later._  
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_Thanks for reading._


	17. Chapter 17

I kept staring at myself in my reflection in the water. I was crouched at the lake, disgusted with my matted hair and dirty face. I scrubbed it repeatedly until my skin turned red. My hair lay on my shoulders, tangled and oily.

Bleugh. I turned my head away, unable to look at myself any longer. I know that I can't expect that I'll be stunning all the time, ready to steal the show. But right now I look like a sad excuse for a gril. Laced up boots appeared in my peripheral vision. Just by the size of them I could tell that they belonged to a girl.

Clove.

After yesterday's fiasco, we didn't talk. We were avoiding each other, trying not to make any eye contact. I didn't have a problem with that. For the rest of the evening, I stayed next to Cato, eating sweets and chocolate. That boy can eat a lot, let me tell you. And in the morning she wasn't even at the camp, having dissappeared in the forest looking for unfortunate souls.

And now she's next to me. Oh ou.

"Ehm.. Hi."I said and cleared my throat. She looked at me with a calculating eyes and crouched next to me without saying a word, her knives peaking from her belt. She had them always with her.

"How is it going?" God, what did I just say? Blush started creeping up on my cheeks from embarrassment, my eyes darting form one stone to another, trying to find some safe neutral point to look at.

"I was wondering if we have some shampoos at the cam-"

"I'm not going to apologize for what I have said yesterday." She cut me off curtly. I looked at her startled, surprised at her speaking up. She was looking straight in front of her.

"But I could have say it less harshly." She admitted and sneaked a glance at me. I had a small smile on my face, happy that our silent argument is being solved.

"Don't look so damn smug. I'm not apologizing." She said quickly with a small frown on her lips.

"I'm not smug. I'm just gla-"

"But I'm not backing away from what I have said. It still stands. It's the truth, whether you like it or not. You may not realize what it is that we found ourselves in. You got Cato, who doesn't let you face any form of danger. Hunting for the others. He is protecting you, even though you may not realize it. But just remember that there still is just one winner." She said and looked at me, her eyes searchingfor any weaknesses.

I nodded,lacking words for a proper answer. My fingers reached to the water, blurring my image.

"You actually do look gross." She commented suddenly. "A shampoo you say?" She asked. I looked at her happily, my gut telling my that our spat is over. The invisible tension in the air disappeared.

"That would be great." I said and stood up, tugging her along with me.

When we got to the giant pile of supplies, a problem arose before our eyes. A big tall problem. That the supplies are too freaking high and they're all mashed up together.

"I told Cato that it was a stupid idea to put them like this in one place. But did he listen? Of course no." I muttered unhappily, staring at the boxes. Clove was circling the pile looking for any clue where these kind of things could be hidden, with no luck for now.

"Did someone mention my name?" Said a voice right into my left ear.

"Oh yes I did." I replied.

"Saying only the truth right?"

I turned around to peak at him though my lashes.

"You can bet I did. Telling the whole world how..." I made a pause, turning around to face him fully. He smirked a bit, the right corner of his mouth curling upwards.

".. stupid you were for putting the supplies in one place." I finished, looking back at that huge pile, my hair smacking him in the face.

"And what's the problem with that. They look perfectly fine the way they are." He tried to reason, crossing his arms over his chest. Ahh, typical male. Never wrong. Perfect all the time.

"Found anything?" I asked Clove when she returned. She sighed and scowled at Cato.

"I'm not sure. Maybe. One box looks like it could be what we need." She pondered on the thought.

"Where is it?" I asked curiously. Her eyes went to the pile, travelling higher and higher, nearly to the very top.

"Near the top." She said, confirming my assumptions. "Who'll go and get them?" I asked hoping that it won't be me.

"Well if I rememeber correctly, Cato mentioned something about you being flexible and it's quite wobbly and unstable there." Oh God. It looks like I will have to go for it.

I sighed unhappily, nodding my head.

"Wait. You want to got up there? No way." Catp finally caught up at what was going on.

"And why not?" I protested. "I need to wash myself. I look like an otter." I complained, flinging my hair in front of his face.

"First of all, you look just fine to me." I raised my eyebrow at his statement, though I was pleased on the inside that he didn't seem to find anything wrong with the way I look. "And second, what does an otter have to do with it?" He asked with an incredolous expression on his face. He clearly wasn't joking when he said when he didn't have any experience with girls. Not as if a comparison of the way I look to an otter would make any sense.

"I need it. Where is it again Clove?" She pointed her finger to a grey box among million other grey boxes. Well, she'll have to point me to the right one when I'll get there.

I breathed out and marched right to the pile just when a pair of arms curled around my waist, taking me away.

"What do you think you are doing?" I huffed angrily when Cato put me downs, few meters away from the supplies.

"Are you stupid?" He shouted at me angrily, his hands gripping my biceps. What was he talking about. He saw my confusion and told me: "There are mines around there you idiot. Aren't you thinking?"

Oh. I forgot.

"I'm sorry." I whispered ashamed at my stupidity. I helped Jeremy to put them in the place and now I got right into them. Cato shook his head at me and went away angrily. I bit my lip unsure about what to do next.

"I wasn't wrong when I said that you were silly sometimes." Said Clove after a while. What's with the people form Dristrict 1 and their need have always the truth no matter how wrong it is? Few second later, she showed me the right spots where to jump.

When I was near the top, Clove pinpointed me exactly which container she meant. I grabbed it, my feet wobbly, and pulled it out form the pile. I threw it back at her, trying as far as possible to not to hit the mines. She garbbed it mid-air, setting it carefully on the ground. She opened it to check it contents and after a while gave me thumbs up. We got what we wanted.

"And now to get down." I mumbled to myself, risking a glance down. It is no way unbeliebably high, but even half a meter above the ground makes me nervous. 2 meters is just enough to set me over the edge.

And it did. My head spinned, my kneess weakened and I felt ready to die. I grabbed the boxes closest to me, avoiding a sack of apples and clung to them desperately. There is no way I'm going to climb down.

"Oh ou.. No. Oh God. This is not good. I'm too high. Too damn high for a person like me. That's it. This is the end. I'm going to die here. I'll dry out and birds will eat my eyes out. Dear God. What have I ever done to you?" I paused in my rant to secure my foor in a more stable place. In the process I looked down again and my life flashed in front of my eyes. Climbing up isn't that much of a problem, because you don't have to look down. You only look to see what's in front of you.

"Urgghhhh.." A pathetic noise escaped my lips, followed by few more resembling the first one. My knuckles were white and my knees were shaking just because I knew I was that high.

"What are you doing there?" Asked Clove from down below.

I didn't turn around to look at her, just answered though clenched teeth, "Dying right now. Are you concerned for my well being?" I asked sarcatically.

"Well come down. We don't have a whole day for this." She said impatiently. I could hear her rummaging though the container, pulling some stuff out.

"Believe me that I would love to come down."

"Are you afraid of heights?" She asked laughing.

"I'm not their biggest fan if you didn't notice." I comemmted dryly, wind blowing hair in my face. I slowly tilted my head lower, trying to get down. I let my right foot go a bit lower, looking for any kind of a surface. The boxes were positioned in the worst way possible, their sides too long. I retracted my leg and put it back in it's previous place after not finding anything to stand on.

"What's going around here?" A new voice was added in our conversation.

Marvle. That's what I need right now.

I could imagine Clove gesturing her hand to me and rolling her eyes. Marvel started laughing hysterically, high-pitched giggles coming from him. I couldn't help myself but to allow a smile slip on my lips. I angled my head so that I would see him. He caught me looking at him, so I stuck my tongue out. He snickered and dramatically wiped tears from his eyes. Just then my left foot slipped a bit and I wavered in my unstable position on the top of the supplies. My eyes widened comically and I had to made grimace because Marvel started laughing again.

"Laugh all you want. I wonder what you'll tell Cato when I'll die here." I said loudly, trying to handle the situation but unsuccessfully.

Muscles in my whole body started to cramp and I new it was just a matter of time untill I'll have to move somehow, what could end up in me falling. I knew that I could fall without any life threatening injuries, but setting the mines off is probably quite hazardeous.

"What are you still doing here?"

Meh. Cato just arrived.

"We have a small problem here.." Started Clove and Marvel started laughing again. Idiot. I peeked behing the box in my view and saw Cato standing there with his hands of his hips, bored.

Now it's the time. "Hey Honey! Long time no see. That's what they say, right?" I joked, only half of my head visible.

Cato's eyes snapped to me and his mouth opened a bit. "What are you doing there?" He asked.

"What does it look like?" I asked a bit irritated. "Soaking in the sun, what do you think?" Seriously, what's with everyone asking what I'm doing here. Does it look like I climb high up just to see the world in my free time?

Cato walked around the pile, standing next Clove with Marvel. "Well come down." He stated as it it was obvious.

I rolled my eyes. "If I could, I have have done it already."

"She scared of heights." Said Marvel still grinning. Thankfully Jeremy was quite far away. I couldn't handle another pair of eyes. Whp cares about the whole Panem seeing me too.

"Heights? What heights? That pile is not much taller than me." Cato said mockingly.

"Well if I was a giant just like you, it wouldn't have been a problem." I commmented dryly.

"You're not going down are you." Cato stated rather than asked. I shook my head, clenching my fist to get rid of the cramps.

With a defeated sigh, I could hear someone moving, then hopping and jumping around. I furrowed my eyebrows at their actions.

"Let go and I'll catch you." Cato's voice came from below. I widened my eyes at the prospect of falling backwards.

"HELL NO!" I bellowed, trerrified even more. "My dad used to play this game with me and it took him one month of constant trying to make me let go. Like hell I'm going to do it with you, here and now." I protested. I despised the idea of doing it. With my dad I knew that he would catch me, yet it took him so long. I think that Cato would try to catch me too though. If he wouldn't, we would blow up.

"Come down already. I'll catch you." Promised Cato.

"I told you I can't. I am already emotionally attached to this place."

"Cory..." Threatened Cato. Wow, it's been quite a long time since he said my name.

"Cato.." I mimicked.

He sighed. "Look, I promise I'll catch you. Just let go. I'm right behind you." His voice grew softer and more tender, coaxing me in. I closed my eyes and hung my head defeatedly. There was no other option just to do what he said.

I turned my head a bit, looking into his blue eyes. "Promise?"

"Promise." He said slowly and held out his arms. I readied myself, closing my eyes for a second, then openening them slowly. I breathed out and jumped backwards.

I thought it would take about half an hour to get down, but nearly the second I jumped, I was in Cato's arms. I didn't even feel the wind rushing beneath me, it was over that fast. I opened my eyes, having found his immediately.

"Thank you." I said. He just smiled and walked with me in his arms to the outer ring of the pile in safe distance from the mines. He then set me down on m feet.

"Hey guys. How is it going down here?" I said to Clove and Marvel. Clove just smiled and shook her head and Marvel started laughing silently.

Then I started jumping up and down, shaking my legs and arms. "And what are you doing now?" Asked Cato with a dumbfounded expression on his face.

"Getting rid of bad feels and vibe." I said and continued shaking my limbs. There was a tingling senation in my bones and I wanted to get rid of it.

* * *

I was up to my knees in water, getting used to the temperature. The sun was shining, so I wasn't freezing cold. Clove was already in water up to her neck, her hair wet and sliced back. I had this powder in my hair, that was supposed to make it normal. It was some substitution for a shampoo. I just had to rinse it off and dry my hair.

"Jump in, don't just stand there or you'll never get in with that speed." She said to me.

"Aren't there any flesh eating fishes?" I asked alarmed when something brushed my ankle.

"No." She said flatly.

"And what about some water plants?" I added.

"Just get in, there isn't anything like that." She said and dived in.

I stood there with white hair, a T-shirt and a panties. I refused to bath just in my underwear. I knew that Clove was right but I was resisiting till I could.

I sighed, defeated, made two steps and then dived into the water. The first imminent shock went through my body and when I broke the surface, I took in few deep breaths to make the blood flow though my veins. I stood up, shirt clinging to my body. I bend forward and strated washing my hair, trying to get rid of the white powder. It dissapperaed in the water, leaving no trace of it.

I should have expected it. I really should. It's nothing new and it happnes all the time. And I like it too. So why I was oonce again surprised when a pair of amrs appeared around me?

"Is it just me or is is hot in here?" Asked Cato with a suggestive wiggle of his eyebrows when he turnes me around to face him. I was waist deep down in water but he was just to his hips. Than Goodness that he had a shirt on. I don't know how I would survive if he didn't.

"What are you doing here?" I asked with an amused smile on my face.

"I was bored.. " He said whining, making a sad face.

"Oh poor Cato... That is so sad." I said mockingly and moved to get away from him. He quickly pulled my closer. Damn those fast reactions. I slipped from his grasp, diving under water, a few strokes of my arms taking me away from him. When I resurfaced, I found his face quickly. He was turning around in his spot, his eyes searchin gthe water. Once he found me, he scowled and crossed his arms across his chest. That action made me aware of the fact, that the red shirt he had on was clining to his body. I gulped dryly and reached my feet down to touch the surface and steady myself.

Just when water came to my chin and I didn't feel the familiar surface of slippery stones and mud, I panicked.

Ever since the flood I was scared of deep water. Flashes of muddy brown water carying crops and carts, taking small huts and houses with it appeared in my mind. I don't remember it very vividly, but fear of dark deep water stayed in me.

My foot shot forward and I tried to stay as close to the surface as possible. My eyes widened and I swam as fast as possible to Cato. When I got to him, it was this time me who threw arms around him and hugged him with all my might. I wrapped my legs around his waist and clung to him.

"First heights, now deep water?" He asked ligh-hearthedly, but held me to him. I buried my face in his neck, sun warming my back.

I was on the shore, wrenching water out of my hair, having put on a clean clothes. Just then a canoon boomed through the arena. I froze in place, bringing my arms to my sides. I looked up, waiting to see a name appear in the sky, terrified of seeing Peeta's face. Just then I remembered that I'll see who died in the evening, not now during day.

The arms that I am so familiar with sneaked around my waist, bringing me closer to Cato's chest. I welcomed the embrance, leaning into him. His chin rested on my shoulder and I closed my eyes.

"How about a chocolate?" He whispered teasingly into my ear. That boy certainly knows what works with me. I smiled nad nodded, grabbing his hand, taking the chance to try to forget where we are. He is my protector. An umbrella in storm, a shelter in blizzard, a shadow in heat. He, is everything I need.

.

.

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_Disclaimer: Blah, blah.. I don't own anything. Just for anyone concerned, this disclaimer applies to every other chapter that will follow, since I'm too lazy to write this on every other chapter._

_Thanks to everyone who followed and/or favorited anything: _**Tomoyo Hanizaki, WhisperedxNothingsx, hopeful101, Jenren, 7darkangel7.**

**Tomoyo Hanizaki**_: Thank you :~)_

**Tess**_: Hiii! Thank you soo much. Most of the time I'm afraid that I don't describe it very well and that my writing is too different from others. So thank you :)._

_I can now for sure say that I have fallen into the trap called Tumblr. It's freaking amazing. So I was wondering that you could post your tumblr link if you have one and then I could post mine or I would follow or write you. I thought it would be nice. I'm now working, so I have a lot less free time than I would have wanted, but I can say that it pretty much just makes me want to write more. Today's chapter is kind of an filler once again. But next chapter will have more action and I'll finally change something as I wanted from the start. Since then it will be a whole lot different than the books and the movie._

_Thanks for reading._

_Klaudia_


	18. Chapter 18

Since I woke up I had quite a bad feeling in my gut. Something was going to happen this day.

I slept very well after I saw that the canon wasn't for Peeta. Chocolate may have taken away my mind for a while and make me relaxed, but then the fear and worry for him returned. Sometimes I wonder if there wasn't something wrong with me that I spend nights cuddled to someone who hurt him, nearly fatally. But if I were to hold grudge against everyone in these games that did something I disagree with, I would have to be alone. Deep down I even hoped that Vale's face would appear. I nearly forgot about him.

I was eating some oatmeal or what it was with careers as breakfast. It wasn't very good, but was supposed to be full of nutrients. My taste buds were thankful for the change of taste, having eaten nearly only chocolate last few days.

I looked around myself. It was a nice day. The sun was shining and the wind was almost nonexistent. I sighed unhappily after I finished by bowl.

Marvel, who sat next to me, looked up and asked, "What's up?"

"Balloon castles with mushroom queen." I said, stretching the words, my mind trying to come up with the strangest thing it could muster and laid down on my back, putting my hands under my head.

I could hear Marvel choking on his breakfast. "What did you just say?" He said shocked and coughed again.

"I don't know." I drawled. "I'm bored. There's nothing to do around here." I complained.

"Don't you know any game?" I asked hoping the answer will be positive.

"No."

"You're boring." I said and turned to lay on my stomach. I could have drowned in the boredom I was in. My fingers started threading the grass around me and without a second thought I started braiding it. It wasn't going well, but I immersed myself in this task without noticing what was going around me, It was quite amusing. Finding unusual interest in something so silly. I had already about four braids laid next to a new one I was in progress of making.

Just then Marvel's face popped in my view. His brown hair was tousled and messy, his eyes focused on my fingers.

"I'm bored." He confessed, his chin touching the grass. He stuck out his tongue when one grass blade tickled his nose.

"You're like a puppy." I said. He raised his green brown eyes in shock. He did indeed look like a puppy.

"Me a puppy? Please, don't make me laugh." He said brushing of my previous comment.

"I would have thought that arena will be more adventurous than this." I said finishing the fifth final braid.

"It surely won't be for long. People would get bored without us killing each other." He said taking one braid that I held out to him. I took the ends and tied it around his wrist.

"Maybe I'm stupid, but I don't see anything interesting about that." I commented.

"You're not stupid." Marvel said. "You're just weird." He grinned, thanked me for the grass bracelet and stood up. "Well I better be off. Got some people to make them love me." And walked away.

I cocked my eyebrow and sat on the grass. I picked the rest of the bracelets and looked around the camp to give them to other people. I put the bracelets in the pocket of my jacket and put my hands on my hips looking around. Everyone was at the makeshift shelter, that provided some protection from the sun. My eyes travelled above the trees, squinting when they were met with the sun.

I went to them and plopped down on the blankets, leaning into Cato's chest, his legs around me like arms of a chair. He didn't look surprised at my actions, continuing the conversation without a blink of an eye. I listened closely to figure what the were talking about.

"I think there is about 10 left, if I'm not wrong." Said Clove.

"I think it's actually 11 guys." Added Marvel. Clove looked at him sharply and said, "I didn't see you keeping count."

"Neither did I see you." Bit back Marvel. I was watching their bickering with an amused eyes.

"Cut it out." Said Cato and their mouths shut. I grabbed his hand and tried tying the braid across his wrist. "An exact number won't help us anyway." He reasoned and pressed his wrist to his leg, so I could tie the ends together.

"We should start eliminating them one by one. Starting today. We should go at night just as we did at the start." Suggested Cato shaking his wrist to let the braid find it's own place.

"At night should be good." Mused Marvel. "Maybe we should sometimes try in the early hours of the morning. Most of the tributes would be dead asleep." Suggested Marvel.

His lips turned into a grin and he said, "See what I did there? 'Dead' asleep." He said, looking proud of himself. Clove rolled her eyes, but smirked anyway.

Marvel sighed, obviously pleased with himself. He caught me looking at him entertained. He winked and checked the horizon. It was really nice just sitting around, talking, minus the matter that were talking about. I leaned my head back, watching Cato. The gentle breeze in the air was playing with his blonde hair that grew a bit since the start of the games. He looked down at me and turned the corners of his mouth down, making it look like from my point of view as a smile, his chin his second nose. I laughed and stuck my tongue out at him, crossing my eyes.

"Guys, guys!" Shouted Marvel. I looked at him. He was pointing to the forest. "Check it out!" he said excited. I turned my head to see what he was talking about.

A white smoke was drifting to the sky from the thick forest.

"What the hell?" I muttered. I turned to look if they spotted the smoke too. Cato had his eyes trained at the same spot as mine were before they flashed back to mine. He stood up, pulling me with him and he grabbed the sword that was lying next to him. He didn't even have to gesture others to do so, since they were already prepared for the fights, their weapons of choice in their hands.

His voice rang through the clearing, strong and unwavering, "You two stay here. Guard the supplies and keep an eye out. Don't mess up." He said, the last three words directed at Jeremy who came closer as soon as he spotted the smoke too. Jeremy nodded, but I was left annoyed a bit. Why two of us again?

When he saw my face, he rolled his blue eyes. "Yes you'll stay here. Don't forget what I said the last time." He said and signalled Clove and Marvel to go after the smoke. First sign of danger and I should hide. I got it last time, he doesn't have to say it again.

Despite my annoyance and unwillingness to comply to what he said I hugged him tightly. I felt him kiss the top of my head, wrapping me tightly in is arms. "You better return whole." I said. He chuckled before running after them without 'yes' or at least nodding his head in affirmation.

I scowled after their retreating features. "Here. You should take this." Jeremy was handing me a knife. The last time I talked to him was when we were left alone and I instantly felt bad. He tried to avoid the careers as much as possible, keeping himself to the outer ring of the camp.

I thanked him and put the knife behind my belt, adjusting it so that it won't stab me unexpectedly. Jeremy had a spear in his hand, ready for anything. I though we will take stances and be ready and alert if anything were to happen, but instead of that Jeremy sat down tiredly on the log behind him and leaned on his spear.

I looked at him surprised. Without Cato around he was a lot more relaxed albeit cocky, being freed from the constant lingering threat of messing something up resulting in angering Cato.

Just then a flash of orange flashed through the clearing, making my heart stop for a moment.

A single name appeared in my mind. Vale. My pupils dilated from fear and I felt my body tense.

But then when I watched the running figure a few seconds longer I realized that the person was too small and that the hair was much longer then his. I relaxed a bit but I still stayed alert. Jeremy was startled that someone dared to cross the clearing and went after the figure, checking fo any other tributes.

I felt useless just standing there, so I went behind the pile, trying to be on guard. I had no idea what I was supposed to do. I kept checking on Jeremy who was still lingering at the border of the forest if anything new was going around.

Just as my heart rate started slowing down, a whizzing sound went past my ears and ended with a twang. I spun around searching for the object that caused it when a something silver caught my eyes. I went closer to it, tugging the end from the ground.

I brought the object closer to my face.

"Arrow." I whispered to myself. The only person I knew had arrows was Glimmer, but she was already dead. And the only other person I knew that could handle a bow was Katniss.

I slowly went back to my place in moderate distance from the pile and our makeshift camp, my eyes searching my surroundings looking for any possible sign of a hiding tribute. I saw Jeremy walking back to the camp, having no luck with the tribute.

Another whizzing sound reached my ears and this time I turned around just in time to see a flash of silver in the corner of my eyes. My eyes widened involuntarily at what I was seeing.

The sack of apples that I was facing yesterday when I was stuck at the top of the supplies was now torn open.

I watched in horror as the first apple came tumbling down the boxes, the rest of the sack following.

My mind screamed at me to run, but my body was too slow at taking orders and by the time I finally turned around from the pyramid of supplies, it exploded.

A giant blast of energy lifted my body in the air and threw it away, tossing me to the ground far away. I hit my head, my back scorching from the heat that was lingering in the air. The buzzing, low humming in my ears prevented me from hearing the burned supplies crashing to the ground around me, my eyes offering me a visual of what was happening around me.

I don't know how long I stayed on the ground, disoriented, hearing nothing, except light snippets of muffled noise that I couldn't identify.

I stood up, supporting myself with my hands that were angry red in some places. My knees were shaky, yet strangely strong. I didn't waver to the ground. I looked around myself, seeing the black boxes around me, the grey plastic containers melted, their insides black.

The strange noises continued, but they were so quiet that I didn't pay any attention to them.

I checked my hands, than my arms but as soon as I wanted to raise them higher, my back protested, especially my shoulders. I turned my head a bit, my eyes found immediately a black scorched piece of jacket, revealing angry red burned skin, a few pieces of debris stuck in it. I hissed, at least I think I did, because I didn't hear it.

The muffled noise became even quieter when the pounding in my head became more prominent. I gingerly raised my hand to the left side of my skull, gently touching my palm against the place where I hit my head. I didn't feel any pain, which I was glad for, thinking I escaped just with a lump and a small headache. Just when I pulled my hand away, I noticed it was covered in blood, few drops falling to the ground.

I kept staring at my hand disbelieving, touching the same place with my other hand, still not feeling any pain. But even the other hand came down red, my blood slick and strangely warm on my fingers.

Odd.

Two hands suddenly grabbed my arms. I shrieked from the shock and slight pain. I could hear the sound slightly in my ears, though my mind served as a second ears, creating the sound in my brain. The hands turned me around harshly and quickly, spinning me in my spot.

A frenzied blue eyes found mine confused ones. Instead of calming down, they started jumping form one place on my body to another one, cataloguing every injury.

I kept watching his eyes, not aware of the fact that his mouth was moving also. Just when he shook my frame I realized he wanted me to say something, but I didn't know what since I haven't heard him.

Cato gripped my bloodied hands in one of his, his thumb smearing the blood even more than it was. His other hand came to my face, cradling my cheek, wiping the tears that suddenly leaked from my eyes. I saw his lips moving constantly. And even I didn't hear what, just some mumbling, it relaxed me a bit more.

"..her... I... won't fogiv...hurt... Never again.. " I caught a few of these words spilling from his mouth. My left corner of my mouth turned upwards at hearing slighty again.

He went to put his arm around my shoulders, but I quickly corrected him and placed it on my waist. He realized his mistake, forgetting for a quick moment the burn on my shoulder, that was stinging like crazy. He guided me to the camp. Or at least what was left of it.

Clove was kicking angrily to the burned supplies, gripping the silver arrow in her small hand. The black material was flung to every direction around her, her mouth shouting angry words too far away from me to hear her and understand what she was saying.

Marvel was closer to us and when he saw me, his face paled and he rushed to us.

"Are you hurt?" He asked concerned, his hand suspended in the air not knowing where to touch me, my hearing returning to normal.

"I have been better." I answered as Cato sat me down on the blanket that was mostly untouched by the blaze from the explosion.

"What kind of a dumb-ass question was that Marvel?" Asked Cato agitated, looking for something. The burning on my hand lessened to uncomfortable tingling, but the burn on my shoulder was still hurting me. At least the cut on my head was numb.

"Help me find the first aid." Cato ordered and they started searching.

"I know we had it somewhere here." Cato was muttering under his breath as he was hurriedly sorting through the boxes.

"Where's Jeremy?" I asked, his name suddenly appearing in my mind. He should have been relatively safe. He was quite far away from the pile, so he shouldn't be hurt much. My eyes searched for his figure, but I was unable to find him.

When I mentioned his name, Cato froze. So did Marvel. They shared a glance together that went unnoticed by me.

I saw a jacket that belonged to him not very far away from the camp. I made a move to stand up but Marvel was holding me down.

"Let me go!" I said, pulling on his arms. He didn't even budge while Cato was looking for the first aid. "I want to got to see him.." I trailed off. Marvel kept his eyes cast down. I wanted to look him in the face as an unspoken question hung in the air. I didn't hear the canon. But I couldn't even have.

"Is he okay?" I asked, my voice just a mere whisper. The reorganizing of boxes ceased and I turned to look at Cato. He was looking at Marvel, a wordless conversation between them. He looked down at his hands, that were grasping a smaller white box.

"He's dead." Answered Marvel in flat voice. "Something hit him in the head. Most probably something from the explosion." He explained, Cato's eyes still on his big hands. Then they travelled from his hands to my face, settling on my eyes. I leaned into him, not caring that he had his hands full.

Tears started flowing down my face, completely silent. I was sorry that I didn't know him better to sob for him heart wrenchingly.

Cato gave the box to Marvel, who popped the lid open and looked for something for the burn on my shoulder and the cut on my head. With his hands now free, he cradled me closer to him as my tears soaked his red shirt. He started rocking me gently back and forth, calming me down.

Clove came to us in that moment. I looked at her. I saw how furious she was. Seething, her eyes burning. She didn't have the arrow anymore in her hand, having it thrown away in a fit of rage.

She looked at me and worry flashed through her eyes.

"How are you feeling?" She asked and Marvel tore the jacket open with a small knife. It was ruined anyway.

I shrugged my shoulders and she gave me an understanding smile. She crouched, out bodies forming a circle. "Still a better question than Marvel's." I said. " 'Are you hurt?' No, I just happen to be bleeding without any injuries." I joked, my cheeks still wet from the tears. "And I'll have to wash my hair again. What a nuisance."

"Hey!" I said suddenly. "Where went Sally after an explosion?" I asked, waiting to hear a chorus of 'where?' except Cato wasn't paying attention and Clove was staring at the scorch marks with a frown on her fcae. Only Marvel was looking at me.

"Everywhere." I said, laughing at my own joke.

"Knock, knock." Said Marvel.

"Who's there?" I asked.

"Not Sally." He said and we both burst out laughing. Clove smiled a little, sighing and looking around herself with a frown on her face.

"There isn't nearly anything left. We have to figure something out." She said to Cato. He had a frown on his face, his lips pressed to a tight line.

Marvel applied the first layer on the burn, making me hiss. "Ouch." He rolled his eyes and continued. It was stinging more, but the pain soon subdued to an uncomfortable itch.

"I know." Said Cato. "We still have something around here, but it won't last us even two days." He grumbled.

I remembered something I did few days ago. I shot up from my position, my back straight. "Keep still, will you." Said Marvel, his coated fingers in the air as I moved suddenly.

"Oh shut up." I said back to him. "Ughh guys. I have to tell you something." I said, capturing their attention. Suddenly all eyes were on me.

I wiggled under their gazes. "Why are you all looking at me. It's making me nervous." I said.

Cato raised his eyebrows, amused at my discomfort. " I though you wanted to say something."

I huffed, crossing my arms across my chest. "I did."

"I'll rather show you." I said and stood up. Marvel cursed under his breath as his fingers stayed in the air again.

I started walking to the forest line avoiding Jeremy's body. "You know how I told you that you were an idiot for putting all the supplies in one place?" Cato nodded in affirmation, other following us. We entered the forest, greenery surrounding us. The air was a lot nicer here. Fresh and clean, without the distinct smell of ash and burned stuff all over.

"I still stand by that. But then when you left, I went behind your back." I said, walking deeper into the forest, looking for a torn branch stuck on two other sturdier branches. The leaves were withered, having lost their source of nutrients. I went to that tree, bending to the bushes next to it revealing few boxes of the familiar grey and black color.

After we got all the boxes back to the camp, we sorted them though and put most of things we need into backpacks. Marvel finished fixing my shoulder and my head, satisfied that this time I wasn't wiggling around. We then moved to the Cornucopia. The grass around it was green, baring no sign of the Blood Bath from the start of the Games. I still remember how Cato told me to fly away or he'll cut my wings of. Or something along those lines. Fun times.

"We should start looking for the rest of the tributes." Said Clove after she checked her backpack.

Cato stopped for a while, thinking over her suggestion."I agree, we can't wait any longer. And it's better to start now. We have an element of surprise. Most of them think we aren't doing good and that we're weaker, having lost most of the supplies." He pondered.

"What do you say?" He asked the others. Clove nodded immediately, it being practically her idea and Marvel followed shortly after her.

"So we'll go now?" Asked Marvel.

"I think we should." Said Cato in deep voice. He then looked at me and opened his mouth to say something but I bet him to it.

"No! Just no." I said vehemently. "I won't let you order me to stay behind and perhaps climb a tree or hide somewhere else and then come back, if you will, and fetch me like a luggage." I protested, against the idea of being left alone.

Cato had an amused smile on is lips. "I wasn't planning that. " He said, surprising me. "I wanted to say that we should divide in two teams." He said.

Clove and Marvel looked a bit taken back but didn't seem to have any problem with that.

"Okay." I agreed. "But who will be in with who?" I asked. Cato gave me a disbelieving look and I caught up on what he meant. Clove did too and said, "I don't think it's such a good idea." She said practically voicing my thoughts.

"I agree with her." I moved to stand next to her her head coming nearly only to my chin. "You two have worked together for years. No matter how good she and Marvel are, they aren't used to working together. You are. And it makes no sense for the teams to be any different."

Cato scowled and I added. "Besides, you an me to gether would be a catastrophe." He knew it was useless to argue. I was right and he knew it. "Just know that the fact I'm going along with it means that I approve of it at the same time." He said.

"I never thought you would." I said with a smile on his face. "So see you later? Maybe after the showdown at night?" I suggested.

After having said brief goodbyes, we parted our ways. I refused to say goodbyes too long and too heartfelt when we'll see each other later, right? I hoped so and I made myself believe that. We left the big backpacks hidden around the clearing, only having with ourselves the necessities.

I was walking through the forest with Marvel quietly. I was stepping gently on the ground trying not to make much noise. We were walking nearly half an hour already without finding any tribute.

I had a knife ready in hand, Marvel his spear. If we weren't in games, it would be like on a touristic in forest, exploring the country. The arena takes the most normal things and transforms them, that even when you leave it unwillingly stays with you and you won't be able to get rid of it.

The singing of birds was keeping the atmosphere a bit relaxed, perhaps even uplifting. But the bird's singing changed after a while, repeating itself over nad over again. I furrowed my forehead, looking at Marvel if he noticed it too.

"Is that a.." Marvel didn't finish the question. Instead of that, he whistled the same melody. I nodded, lost for words. It was strange.

A shrill scream echoed through the forest and we both tensed. Marvel crouched lower, ready for an attack, but nothing happened.

"Katniss!" Someone screamed. The voice had to belong to a small girl.

"Rue." As her name went out of my mouth, she screamed Katniss's name again. Marvel took off, quickly disappearing between the green forestry. I was suddenly aware of every single noise around me, making it sound like someone's footsteps. Hair at the back of my neck stood up just as on my arms. Memory pushed the encounters with Vale into my mind telling me that he caught up on me most of the time when I was alone or had no one to protect me.

I knew that Marvel didn't go to there to chat with Katniss. No. He was there to get rid of one perhaps two from the remaining tributes. But I'll take that rather then the possibility of meeting my nightmare.

"Katniss!" Her desperate scream sounded closer to me with every hurried step I made. My heart went out for her and my mind was already putting together sentences for Marvel that would stop him from killing her.

Her scream wasn't heard any longer and I stopped, confused for a while in which direction I should go.

After about a minute I got to a clearing when I saw something that made me halt my steps.

Rue, the small, tiny girl that had the largest eyes and the most beautiful hair was pulling a spear from the chest. She dropped it to the ground, her body following. that's when I noticed Katniss. She was next to her, catching her body, hugging her.

I stood there in shock, wanting to help Rue but angry at Katniss. All hose thought came to an abrupt stop when I recalled that the spear had be thrown by someone.

My eyes right away jumped to the fallen figure on the forest floor as if they knew he was there all along. I suddenly found myself next to him, having not even realized that my feet moved.

"Marvel." I said. "Marvel!" I said louder, my hands reaching out shaking his shoulder. The silver arrow lodged in his stomach made me curl my lip in anger and sorrow.

Tears began to build up in my eyes, shaking him stronger.

"MArvel." I hissed, my voice breaking slowly.

A sob was heard in the forest followed by a canon. But it wasn't mine. Katniss was bent of Rue's small body, a pitiful sound leaving her throat as she cried out her grief.

A canon. Without thinking of crying over Rue, I began shaking Marvel even more.

His cannon wasn't heard yet.

"MARVEL!" I shouted at him, taking my hands and slapping him across his face. His head lolled in my direction, his eyes staying closed.

I was at the point of loosing it all together, with Marvel staying unmoving and Katniss's cries.

"Hey." A quiet voice reached my ears. I had to strain them to hear it. They were still a tiny bit numb from the explosion.

"Marvel!" I exclaimed happily and threw my arms around him. He coughed a bit, a small laugh mixing in with the sound. I leaned back to look him in the face and saw few drops of blood on his lips. I looked down on my shirt saw another splatter of blood. His blood.

"MArvel. Listen to me. I'm going to get you out of this." I said and moved to his stomach where the arrow was sticking out. Blood was pooling around the puncture.

"I didn't want to." He said. "It wasn't meant for her." I looked back into his face and saw that his eyes were glistening. He was apologizing.

"Stop that. You'll have time for that later." I reprimanded him, my hands fluttering around the arrow, not knowing what to do.

"I'm sorry." He said again, his face slowly loosing color..

"Shut up!" I suddenly screamed at him."Sut up and tell me what to do. I can't- I can't loose- loose you." I said, my voice breaking at the end, my wrist weighting me down, the bracelet from Morris burning me.

"You're like my brother." I confessed.

"If it was like that, we would have driven our mother crazy." He whispered, lacking the energy to talk out loud.

"Who else would compliment my dance moves if not you? Who will take care of me and act like a dog?" I said, sniffling into his shirt.

His chest heaved up and down repeatedly untill I realized that he was chuckling. Blood slowly trickled from his mouth like a sand clock, taking away his time.

I don't know why it was that moment. Perhaps juts because I saw right my eyes that his time was running out that I snapped.

"BASTARDS!" I screamed into the sky, into the crowns of trees. I knew there was a camera somewhere. "THIS IS FUN FOR YOU? WATCH INNOCENT CHILDREN DIE?" I yelled, crying hysterically.

"SEND HIM SOMETHING!" I shouted, my eyes searching for a camera.

"JUST SEND SOMETHING! DON'T YOU EVER DARE TO CALL YOURSELF HUMANS AGAIN! I HOPE YOU ROT IN HELL YOU SCUM!" I screamed, my throat scratching.

"Who knew you had it yourself." Said Marvel, making my eyes snap to him. "Tell Clove and Cato that I'm sorry."

"You shut up as well" I snapped at him. "Shut the hell up. I once let someone down and let them leave and the hell like I'm doing it again. " I said, finally finding the courage to press my hands around the arrow, putting pressure on the wound trying to slow down the blood flow. Marvel hissed, blood finding it's way out from the other corner of his mouth.

My chest was contracting with every breath I took, unable to control my emotions.

His breathing was slowing down, the movement of his chest almost nonexistent. I lay there next to him in defeated position, my hands now laying limp on his stomach, wet, his blood warming them yet I felt so cold on the inside.

That's when the most beautiful sound reached my ear.s

The beeping of a sponsor;s gift.

I raised my head, watching the small silver parachute coming down. When it touched the ground I scurried on my knees to it, my finger finding the tiny door. It took me few times to try to open it, my fingers leaving red marks on it. When I opened it I found a small vial full of transparent liquid inside, a tiny slip of paper attached to it. I grasped the vial in my hand and went to Marvel.

When I got to him, I realized with a panick that his chest was no longer moving and that it was just a matter of time when the cannon will boom for him too.

I took the paper, a scrabble written there. I had trouble reading it but I understood that I'll at first will have to remove the arrow and pour the liquid on the wound, the rest making him swallow, then not move him at least half an hour. I put the vial next to his head and went to grabbed the arrow, but I couldn't grasp it properly, my hands too slick with blood.

A desperate cry left my lips when I tried to dry them on my pants. That's when I noticed the same arrow pointing at my head. I looked up and saw Katniss with her bow ready, her face stony, but tears were still falling from her eyes.

"It's not fair." She said, her voice broken and raspy from the crying. I looked away from her face to the still body of Rue.

I looked her back in the eyes. "It's not."

"Nothing's fair here." I added silently, her eyes watching me face. Our gazes met, both of our eyes red, teary, but determined to do what we told ourselves to.

"I can't allow you to do that. " She said, moving the tip of the arrow ever so just to pint at Marvel's body.

"And I can't allow you to stop me." And made a move to grasp the arrow agin. She took back her arm, the string of the bow stretching even more, her fingers quivering with the anticipation to shoot from the bow.

"Don't." She said, her voice resonating.

Without a blink of an eyes, I said, "Try me." And grasped the arrow. The blood I left on it earlier making it still slippery. With an anguished cry, a sob tore from my throat, finding no cure for the utter hopelessness that I was feeling. I didn't care about the gleaming silver arrow pointed at me. If it meant loosing another person that I was close to, then I deserved it.

My hands were slipping down the arrow, tears in my eyes blurring Marvel's body in front of me.

Warm hands grasped my own and I looked up in surprise. Katniss was on the other side of Marvel, her bow thrown across her back, her braid hanging in front of her face.

"Together." Hervoice was nothing more but a mere whisper., her eyes still steel grey.

Her clean hands grabbed the arrow and my own hands wrapped her own and together we pulled. If I was expecting a cry from Marvel, I didn't get one. Without waiting a second more I grabbed the vial poring half of it onto his wound,I sizzled, making angry noises. Then tilting his head back, opening his mouth. Katniss cradled his head on her knees, helping me so my hands could be free. I pressed the vial to his bloody lips and emptied it's contents in his mouth. Then I ran my hands down his throat to make him swallow the liquid.

I waited with a bated breath for any indication that he was alright.

After few second, Marvel took in a ragged breath.

The stone that weighed my heart dropped down, nearly making a noise. A relieved laugh escaped my lips, my eyes closing in bliss that was coursing through my body.

I looked back at Katniss, who had her face frozen.

"It's not fair." She repeated. her fingers scrubbing the blood that found it's way on her jacket.

I nodded. "Thank you". I said, finding no other words how to express my gratitude. She stood up, walking back to Rue's body. I went after her, knowing I couldn't move Marvel even if I wanted to. She walked past her, making her way to the beds of wild flowers.

She bent down a bit and started plucking them into a large bouquet. Without any words said between us, I started doing the same. The silence was solemn between us, but any other words would have broken the fragile peace and harmony we had now.

When we surrounded Rue with the white flowers, Katniss folded her hands and put the most beautiful ones in her hold. She looked angelic, laying there like that. I moved to take the fallen petal from her cheeks and I almost drew my hand right back at how cold she felt.

I let Katniss alone with her and went back to Marvel. He was breathing regularly, his face back to its normal color. He looked as if he were sleeping. I sat next to him, taking one of his hands into mine, closing my eyes in gratitude.

I whispered a quite 'thank you' to the cameras hidden around us.

When I opened my eyes, saw Katniss walking slowly away. After few steps she stopped, turned around looking for a cameras. She found one on a tree next to us.

She held up three of her fingers and I knew what she meant. Peeta told me about their customs of saying goodbye.

Her eyes went from the camera to me, the tiniest of smiles appearing on her lips, her three fingers still out.

I raised my hand in the same way as she.

Another hand appeared next to mind, with three fingers held up.

Marvel had his eyes half closed, a soft smile adorning his face.

And with that, Katniss left.

I looked back at Marvel, taking the sleeve of my jacket, cleaning the blood of his face. He was exhausted. My attention was solely on him, the crumpled piece of paper that was attached to the vial thrown away.

In that hurry I barely read the words and went to Marvel, desperate to safe his life, Morris's face flashing in the back of my mind.

If I had only taken a look on the other side, I would have seen something that wouldn't leave my mind easily. Something drawn in a hurry.

A mockingjay, with an arrow it it's beak.

On the arrowhead sitting a small butterfly.

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_Hi!_

_A very big thank you to everyone who followed/favorited or even both: _**LightBlueRoses, dutchgirl123.**

**dutchgirl123**_: Hi! Thanks for the review, I'm glad that you like my story. Well, I can't reveal a lot, but I can tell you that shit will hit the fan. The ending is completely different then that in book/movie. And I yet haven't read anything like that, so I hope it will be something new. But I can tell you that I hate sad ends, so I can't kill off everyone. Just wait for the twists and susprises. I hope I won't dissapoint._

_Guess what! The longest chapter eveeerr! And Marvel lives! Yay! I just couldn't let him go. I finally changed something, even though it's just a small thing. I hope that my changes won't discourage you from reading more. And I changed the picture and added something in the summary, because when I first put it there, I had no idea what I wanted there to be. And I still don't know how to write a proper summary. And I wanted to use that joke like forever. And I'm kind of nervous about posting this chapter.  
_

_Thanks for reading! And write a review if you have time. I appreciate them and get giddy over every single one. Even if it's just a few words, they still make me happy._

_Lia (or Klaudia (: )_


	19. Chapter 19

I was panting with the effort I made trying to get Marvel back to camp. He was already perfectly healthy, but he was terribly exhausted and couldn't stand straight for 5 minutes. I had to support him the whole way back to the camp. I had even his spear in hand.

Not long after Katniss left, I moved his body further away, feeling exposed in the clearing. I waited about two hours for him to regain consciousness. It felt like sitting on needles and pins. Every moment I turned my head around, thinking that some other tribute will appear and ambush us.

The bushes around me were itching me and I wanted to get back to the camp. The sun was coming down and the temperature started to drop. I gave my jacket to Marvel, knowing that he needed it more than I did, so I sat as close to him as possible trying to snag heat from him.

"Marvel." I snapped at him, his eyes snapping open. His body was heavy and didn't help me a bit. Not to mention that he was nearly as tall as Cato, having a good few inches on me.

"Wake up." I whispered harshly at him. I didn't want to make any more noise than necessary, the darkness around us and the sound of forest at night giving me creeps.

Not only my body , but my mind also was exhausted.

The main reason of my worries was the announcement of the change in rules.

Two victors instead of one, at the condition that they have to come from the same district.

When I heard it, I closed my eyes, knowing that this was the unofficial canon for everyone that was left alone from their district. I'm sure we all knew that Cato and Clove were now the victors of these games. They were too strong for us.

When the announcement was over, I looked at Marvel if he heard it as well. He did. His eyes were defeated and knew that even though he survived now, he probably won't later.

"It's alright. We'll be fine." I said to him, the most blatant lie I have said in these games. He nodded weakly and let me blabber about silly things in quiet voice, taking our minds of the pressing discovery and mine from the danger of staying there.

When we I finally saw the dim shine of the Cornucopia, I let out a sigh of relief. I didn't hope that Clove and Cato would be there. After all the day's showdown of the dead tributes wasn't yet.

I got to the gold wall and sat Marvel down. He slid down the wall, laying on the ground, putting his knees close to his chest. We left the things we needed the least in the back of the gold shelter, thankfully blankets were among them. I grabbed three, covering Marvel with two, and putting the last one around my shoulders.

The spear that fell next to Marvel gleamed in the moonlight, the dried blood creating maps on it. I kicked it further away from me, disgusted my it's appearance.

I took out a small energy bar that I had in my pockets and started eating it. The chunks of honey nuts were dry in my mouth as I put out the withered grass blades from the pocket as well. I wanted to throw them on the ground, but I decided against it. I tied them together, creating a long braid. I stretched the ends but it didn't tear. I put it back in my pocket and my fingers started fumbling with the string bracelet from Morris. A bitter smile appeared on my face, remembering his carefree smile and happy face, his boyish features and green eyes. I should have shouted and screamed for help for him as well, but now I know that wouldn't have helped me. We weren't important enough for them to send us something so expensive.

In that moment I wanted to fly away, just as Cato told me at the bloodbath.

Sound of hurried footsteps reached my ears, I looked up just in time to feel someone's strong arms lifting me up and pressing against his chest.

Cato.

I breathed in the familiar scent of metal, forest and spices. He pulled me away from him a bit, his eyes searching my face.

"I'm fine." I said, answering his unasked question. His blonde hair was falling into his eyes, and I fondly pushed it back, chewing the last piece of the energy bar.

"What happened?" Asked Clove. I turned around, still in Cato's arms and saw her next to Marvel who was passed out not responding to her touches. She looked concerned, her hand still on his cheek.

I sighed, shaking my head to clear my thoughts. I didn't want to talk about the events from today.

"Well?" Pressed Cato, his blue eyes transfixed on mine. I look away a frown on my face, and buried my face in the crook of his neck. I leaned on him, his body supporting my whole weight, taking in all the warmth he had to offer. I could feel Cato taking in the state of my jacket and my hands, covered on blood. The slow rumble of his chest as he prepared himself unconsciously to hurl words at me.

Artificial light of the screen in the night accompanied the natural light from the moon and the picture of Rue appeared on the night sky, her eyes twinkling innocently just like the start around her.

The shower of words that he had prepared hit a barrier in his throat. I saw him looking at Marvel and the spear that had blood on it. Realization dawned on his face.

"What happened?" He asked just loud enough for Clove to hear as well. She turned to mer with a question in her eyes.

I slowly started telling them what happened, starting with the melody. I didn't bother going into great details. I deliberately omitted the announcement about the change of rules.

After I finished, no words were said between us. Cato moved Marvel to the Cornucopia, Clove went to eat something and I stood waiting for the right moment to whisk Clove away for a second. Marvel woke up after a while. When I saw Clove finishing her meal, I locked my eyes with her and signalled her to come outside. We left Marvel and Cato talking in hushed whispers.

I led her behind the Cornucopia, knowing that they won't hear us there. She had a curious expression on her face, unaware of what I was going to ask from her.

"You are very good at knives, right?" I asked, not waiting for an affirmation from her. The answer was obvious.

"Do you-"

"I hope you don't think I'm going to teach you how to throw them and stuff. We don't have the time and I don't have the nerves and patience." She said, her hand put in front of her.

I let out a quiet nervous laugh shaking my head.

"NO. " I said. "I was wondering if you know how to kill someone just in one move?" I asked, biting my lip.

Clove got an unreadable face, her dark brown eyes narrowing. "Yes." She said curtly.

"I know you heard the announcement." I said, explaining what I had in mind. "It is painfully obvious that you two are made to win this thing, so I was hoping that when it comes down to the-".

"No." She interrupted me. "Just no. Stop talking. I don't want to hear it." She shook her head, her ponytail bouncing wildly behind her.

"No. You listen to me. I know Cato wouldn't do it. And I trust you. You're my only girl friend and I would be happy if it was you." I explained.

"Are you crazy?" She exploded. "You think that even if I did it, Cato wouldn't find out? The sure as hell there would just one victor, because he wouldn't let me live after doing something like that." She said and just then I realized the stupidity of my plan.

I shrugged my shoulders and said, "Worth asking."

Clove snorted and leaned on the Cornucopia, her right foot bent. "I can't believe you even though about that." She said disbelieving.

"I'm sorry, alright?" I said. "But I still think I would have been happier if it was you than.. I don't know.. Vale for example." I didn't even want to think of it happening. I was happy that I haven't seen for quite some time.

"Just stop talking about it. I don't want to hear a word about it again. Understood?" Her dark brown eyes were fixed on mine, making me nod my head. Satisfied with my response she leaned back on the wall.

I did just as her, looking around myself. "So..." I said, unable to withstand the silence and to stay quiet.

I heard Clove mumble something under her breath annoyed at me speaking up again but I didn't let you it stop me.

"You and Marvel?" I asked, wiggling my eyebrows.

Clove turned to me, her mouth open, shock evident on her features. "What?"

"It's obvious that you like him." I said.

Clove closed her mouth, her lips pressed together. "Don't be ridiculous." She snapped at me.

I held my hands up. "I'm only saying what I see."

"Don't forget that it's me out of the two of us that can kill in one move." She said with a grin on her lips. I gulped dryly widening my eyes comically. "But you said that you wouldn't do that. Cato wouldn't like it."

She flicked a small knife out of the belt, her finger running down the edge. "I could hide your body." She said. At the same time we started giggling at the absurdity of the situation and headed back.

* * *

I woke up early in the morning, the first sunrays peaking behind the clouds. I pushed back the hair that was in my face, having put it our from the rubber band it was the night before. I propped myself up, looking around the inside of Cornucopia. Clove and Marvel where sleeping next to each other, but Cato was nowhere to find.

I stood up, the blankets falling down on grass, chilly morning air sneaking under my jacket.

I went outside and looked around. Morning dew covered the grass, tiny drops of them shimmering in the morning light. I walked around looking for Cato without any success.

"Up here." A voice came from above. I spun around, surprised to see Cato face looking down at me from the top of Cornucopia.

"Can I come?" I asked coming closer. Cato nodded, gave me his hand and raised me next to him. I didn't expect him to put me up so quickly. I stumbled a bit falling onto him, my foot tripping on the edge.

I looked up from my position on his chest, his lips stretched to a broad smile. "Hi." I said, biting my lips. "How's it going?" I asked, tilting my head to the side.

"I think it's good now." He said after a short while. I rolled my eyes and turned on my back, using his arm as a pillow for my head.

"What an exhausting answer."

After a while my neck started to hurt so I turned around and lay on his chest, hooking my leg ist across his. His arm wrapped itself around my waist holding me in place so I would not roll over. I sighed in content, liking the contrast of chilly air and his warm body.

After a few minutes of silence, broken occasionally by the rustle of leaves or bird's singing, I asked Cato a question. "Why me?"

"What why you?" He asked confused.

"Why did you stand up for me at the train. We haven't spoken a word before and yet you stood up." I said, voicing my inner questions.

"Why are you asking it now?" He said, propping himself on his arms, lowering his head so he could look me in the eyes. I shrugged at his question. "I don't know. I suppose now it quite a good time."

He chuckled and swung both of my legs of his, making me comfortable. He rested his big hands on my thighs, warming them up through the pants I wore. "Do you remember how you looked like?" He asked me with a mischievous twinkle in his blue eyes.

I frowned, trying to recall it, but my mind couldn't come up with any image. "I can't."

"You had on a small summer dress, apparently a size smaller than you wear and had no shoes on." Cato said with a laugh. He raised one of his hand bringing it to my face, his fingers playing with my hair. " Big curly hair, a smile on your face. Shy yet loud. I saw a girl that didn't belong there." He smiled fondly at the memory. Heat began to creep up on my cheeks as I lowered my eyes to his hand.

"And what about you?" He asked, nudging me in the shoulder.

My eyes met his and I asked, "What about me?"

He smirked. "Why me."

I rolled my eyes. "Why are you asking me that."

"Don't think I would be the only one here confessing. I'm not going to make it easy for you." He laughed at my discomfort. I glared at him, though that glare disappeared after second of looking into his face.

"Well." I took a deep breath, trying to find my way around it. "I honestly don't know."

"How can you not know." He said disbelieving.

"I mean I do know. It's just weird saying it out loud." I said, throwing my arms in the air. "I want people to know why I care about them without me telling them. I don't really like voicing my emotions and feelings. Getting too deep. Joking and turning things on the lighter side is easier."

"It is easier." Cato admitted. "But wasn't life meant to be hard?"

"Ohhohoh.. That was deep one." I said, snort coming out of my mouth. But he didn't do anything, just continued to stare at me with an expectant look on his face.

I moved one leg on the other side, so I was sitting on his lap, facing him. "Well there are the obvious reasons." I stated.

Cato raised an eyebrow. I sighed annoyed. "Well you look good. Right?" I said, irritated that I have to say it out loud.

"You're asking ME that?" He asked amused. I huffed and refused to look him in the eyes. I ran my hand through my hair, anxious. This conversation was uncomfortable. I leaned into his chest, hiding my face in the crook of his neck.

"You have beautiful eyes, nice smile, big hands. You're strong and brave, though sometimes stupid and reckless." I started telling him. He stayed quiet, only his chest falling and rising. "You have an unsatiable stomach and have a soft spot for chocolate and ice-cream. Sometimes you have this deep thoughtful look on your face and sometimes you act like a dork. You're funny in your own way. In a way that makes me laugh." I kept my voice down, letting the air around us carry it.

"You're temperamental but you like to cuddle. You make me feel safe, warm, protected... happy. I can sit with you in a silence, content. Even though I mostly can't keep my mouth shut." I admitted and Cato laughed silently.

"That's all and yet nearly nothing, because there is so much more that makes me confused and feel the way that I do, but I don't know what it it. " My voice faded into a whisper, a soft coat of the new life of morning covering us.

"You didn't mention anything about me being a murderer." His throat rumbled under me forehead. I frowned and shook my head.

"Don't say that." I told him.

"But it is who I am." He insisted stubbornly. "You can't just take that away. You can't be blind to it." He protested.

"Why do you keep bringing it up all the time?" I asked him.

"That's the label that comes with me." He frowned. "The brutal career. The monstrous boy from District 2. The bloodthirsty killer." He spat out the names, as if they were burning his mouth. "You can't just take them away." HE said shaking his head, his eyes looking at the trees surrounding the clearing.

He casted his eyes downwards, his hands limp by his side. It made me sad to see a boy so feverishly telling me something that was eating him inside. Something he wouldn't have chosen if you would have the choice. The label games put on him.

Don't they see they are not just a puppet in a play? That there aren't any white and black characters? That there isn't only one side of the truth? Of them, that we see?

I raised my head, my eyes looking at him. "I know I can't." I said.

"I understand that that's the way they portray you. BUt tell me one thing." I said. "I know, that you killed people in the arena." I mentally shuddered at the easy tone that accompanied the way I said 'killed', the prospect of how twisted it is seeping in the back of my mind. "But have you ever killed someone in real life?" My question brought his eyes back on me.

"I .. I didn't." He said, with a small frown on his lips. "But I have hurt people, when I couldn't control my anger."

"And you know what I did?" I asked him.

He raised his eyebrows waiting for an answer. "I burned worms because I hate them and they scared me." I confessed. "Now tell me that it is nice."

He chuckled and brought his arms around me, hugging me. "You can't compare that. And you know it."

"I know it isn't something I can just take away if I wished. " I muttered. I took his hand, grasping it between my smaller ones. "But look at that who you are around me." I said encouragingly.

"A goofball that wears a grass braid tied around his wrist that some girl put there." I joked, a corner of Cato's lips finally curling upwards.

"It's not just some girl." He said after a while.

His blue eyes locked with mine. "It's you."

In that moment, the cameras and other tributes ceased to exist.

It was just me and him.

Basking in the shimmering morning sun with warm breaths and fumbling hands and fluttering hearts of innocent people. That was us and in this moment, nothing else mattered.

Our foreheads touched, Cato's hands circling my face, barely touching it, like a porcelain doll on display. My hands were on his strong chest, feeling his heartbeat escalating.

And just like a lightning,so sudden and unexpected, our lips touched.

Barely moving at first, seemingly frozen. Sparks flew between them, urging for something more. And that more was granted. they started moving, slowly, against each other, heat beginning to build up. Hands that were so shy at first were now crossing borders.

When we parted, we didn't lean away from each other, surprised and stunned by our actions. We prolonged the feeling, our lips still in slight shock from such a new experience. We were breathing steadily, though are heart didn't see it as the right time to calm down.

"For someone who says he never kissed a girl, that was one heel of a kiss." I said quietly. Not a second passed and I opened my eyes in shock.

"I ruined the moment." And bit my lip. Perfect, not it seems like I'm an idiot. Cato's laugh reached my ears, my eyes looking into his.

"Why are you laughing?" I asked a bit hurt at his actions.

"It's not like that." He said, shaking his head, his lips pink.

"You just made it more perfect." He said.

I let out a sigh of relief, gently punching in the arm.

* * *

I crossed my hand on my chest. Cato stood just a few feet away from me in the same stance as I did. Except he looked way more serious than I did.

"You won't go with me." I repeated stubbornly second time in a row.

"I will." He retorted.

"No you won't."

"Yes I will."

"I won't get killed you idiot."

"I don't believe that for a second."

"You don't get it. I can't.. can't.. do that with you there."

"I will turn around."

I hid my face in my hand and screamed into them out of pure frustration. I weaved my les around each other, coaxing my bladder into not exploding.

Peeing.

This was a serious issue. The game makers didn't think about it. There were no toilets nor stalls around here. The first few days, it wasn't such a problem. Having not much to eat and drink made it easier. And when I had something to out in my mouth, it was at the Cornucopia and there was Clove that didn't mind that much to go with me.

But now, she's not here, doing God knows what, leaving me with still sleepy Marvel and Cato. And Cato saw it fit to go with me.

Hell no. Over my dead body. I don't think we got to the point in our relationship where we should share our experiences to this level.

"JUst let me go alone. I won't got far." I said, desperate to convince him. Cato sighed, his previously crossed hands falling to his side, giving me a glimmer of hope that he'll let me go.

"I swear that if you won't return in 5 minutes, I'll go after you." He said. I squealed and turned to run in the forest.

"Give me ten!" I shouted back to him. Zigzagging through the trees, without waiting for an answer.

After I was done, I walked slowly with an elevated feeling thought the forest, my eyes skipping from one branch to leaves and birds.

Everything was green.

Green, green, green, brown, green, brown, mud, leaf, white flower, green, orange, green, brown...gr-.

Orange.

My eyes found him immediately, as if they remembered the color that just didn't belong.

Right in front of me, half hiding half not behind a tree, was Vale. His head slightly tilted, hair standing out at the greenery around us.

Right in my path to the clearing.

Maybe Cato was right after all. Maybe I'll get killed.

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AN: Feel free to kill me now, since the time I last updated was like thousands years ago.

I lost my drive and made a big mistake of fixing Cato to the actor that played him, Alexander Ludwig. Don't get me wrong, I think he was perfect for that role, I just realized that I should have created my own version of Cato and I didn't. So I spent that whole time thinking about it. But not only that.

I have a part time job that takes up quite a lot of my time, I got even lazier and messier than before and I had some different things on my mind as well. A girl, that belonges to my 3 best friends for about 5 years, thinks I'm not worth her time, ignores me, doesn't reply to texts. I even visited her two times, worried that something bad happened to her and she didn't even come to see me and tell me that our friendship is over.

Sorry for the rant.

I read a lot of ff in about 5 or 4 years since I dicovered it. Every single day, at least few hours. It's pretty much my love. So when I finally decided to write something, I was scared but excite at the same time.

I want you to know that I appreciate evry single view and hit or what is it called like, and review are like dreams come true. I hate to admit that I was a bit disappointed with the lack of reaction to the last chapter and that made me realize that the way I write is far from as good as some other authors.

But thanks to every one of you who reviewed, added the story or even me to follow or favorites. It makes me feel honored that you did something like that and I'm grateful for that.

**Castiel's Saving Grace, Sassi15, LollipopR5, RtheAwesome, horseluvr888, XxSayaKeikokuRyuuxX, Stjarna15, EmoPrincessBunny, natnat9, flippingthroughthepages** thank you so much for the follow/favorite.

Special thank goes to the ones that reviewd: **Guest, Dreamer, fangirlingeveryseond**.

Dreamer: I appreciate it but since I'm a complety troll when it comes to these things, could you write the the i have to put before it? I would love to check it out. thank you.

Review, review, review.

Thanks for reading.


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